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War drama

The Red Detachment of Women (1961): Cast & Plot

The Red Detachment of Women (1961) movie poster

The Red Detachment of Women is a 1961 war drama directed by Xie Jin, starring Zhu Xijuan as Wu Qionghua, Wang Xingang and Xiang Mei. It runs 1 hour 50 minutes.

The Red Detachment of Women (1961) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 50m (110 min)
Director
Xie Jin
Genres
Drama , War
Original language
Chinese
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Red Detachment of Women About?

The premise of The Red Detachment of Women without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Wu Qionghua, a house maid, is abused by a cruel warlord until she joins a troop of women soldiers.

Cast & crew

The Red Detachment of Women Cast & Characters

Zhu Xijuan leads the cast as Wu Qionghua, with Wang Xingang as Hong Changqing and Xiang Mei as Honglian. Directed by Xie Jin; 21 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Red Detachment of Women

· 17 more
Show all 21 cast members
Plot

The Red Detachment of Women Plot Summary

What happens in The Red Detachment of Women from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In September 1930, the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) pushes a bold anti-feudal idea onto Hainan Island by forming a division that includes a daring company of female soldiers, known as the Red Detachment of Women. Hong Changqing, the CPC representative who pretends to be an overseas businessman, seeks to recruit Nan Batian and his growing force, claiming he has returned from abroad with substantial fortunes to fund their cause. He arranges a banquet to win Nan Batian’s allegiance, and during the visit he notices a maidservant under harsh oppression within Batian’s household. With a quick, practical ruse, he secures her liberty, and at the moment of parting, that young woman’s name—Wu Qionghua—is revealed, revealing a fierce resolve to step into the ranks of those fighting against feudal landlords.

Full summary

The whole story of The Red Detachment of Women, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Red Detachment of Women?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
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  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the CPC representative who pretends to be an overseas businessman to recruit locals?

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FAQ

The Red Detachment of Women FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Red Detachment of Women, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Red Detachment of Women?

The Red Detachment of Women runs 1 hour 50 minutes (110 minutes).

When was The Red Detachment of Women released?

The Red Detachment of Women was released on January 30, 1961.

Who directed The Red Detachment of Women?

The Red Detachment of Women was directed by Xie Jin.

More films by Xie Jin

Who is in the cast of The Red Detachment of Women?

The Red Detachment of Women stars Zhu Xijuan as Wu Qionghua, Wang Xingang as Hong Changqing and Xiang Mei as Honglian, among 21 credited actors.

Does The Red Detachment of Women have a post-credit scene?

No. The Red Detachment of Women has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Red Detachment of Women in?

The original language of The Red Detachment of Women is Chinese.

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