Article 20 () is a 2024 Chinese drama film directed by Zhang Yimou, and stars Lei Jiayin, Ma Li, Zhao Liying and Gao Ye. The film tells the story of a prosecutor who has reached middle age and wants to seize the last opportunity to work at the Municipal Procuratorate. The film juxtaposes his career and family life with the similar struggle in both. Article 20 was released in theaters in China on February 10, 2024, in IMAX, CINITY, Dolby Vision and other formats.
The title originates from Article 20 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, the statute of "legitimate defense ()".
Plot Since taking a temporary position at the city prosecutor's office, Han Ming has been plagued with one headache after another. Both in and out of work, Han Ming frequently talks to and travels with his colleague, Lu Lingling (a former college girlfriend of his), causing cases to drag on unresolved. His wife, Li Maojuan, even perceives this as him cheating.
Zhang Guisheng, a former bus driver and an acquaintance of Han Ming, was fired from his job several years ago for fighting back against hooligans who harassed a woman on the bus and got into a fight. He is going to take a train to Beijing to appeal the case (at his teenage daughter's insistence) but on the way to the train station is hit by a high-speed truck and dies.
Han Ming is also investigating a rape case filed by a deaf woman, Hao Xiuping. Her husband fatally stabbed the rapist and was incarcerated. The rapist's accomplices have been harassing the woman and attempting to force her to sign a document dropping the charges. Desperate and scared for the safety of her husband and child, she jumps off the top floor of a construction site.
Han Ming's son, Yuchen, witnesses the son of his school's principal beating up a classmate and intervenes. He fights the son and breaks his nose, causing the principal to sue Han Ming and Li Maojuan. Yuchen refuses to apologize and does not explain the full situation. This causes a group of the principal's son's friends to beat him up one day. Li Maojuan, outraged by this, takes matters into her own hands and assaults the principal, escalating the conflict even further and leading to her own administrative detention.
As the battle between emotion and law unfolds, and the struggle to balance career and family intensifies, Han Ming decides to risk everything, determined to uphold fairness and justice in his own way.
In court, Han Ming calls for charges against the defendants in all of these cases be dropped. He invokes Article 20 of Chinese criminal law, suggesting that all of these were valid self-defense cases. His speech receives applause from the audience, and all are freed.
Cast Lei Jiayin as Han Ming Ma Li as Li Maojuan Zhao Liying as Hao Xiuping as Lu Lingling Liu Yaowen as Han Yuchen Wang Xiao as Deputy Prosecutor Tian as Li Maoquan as Wang Yongqiang Zhang Yi as Zhang Fan Wei as Liu Bingren Yu Hewei as Prosecutor Wang
Production
Filming Principal photography began on July 1, 2023 in Langfang, Hebei.
Release On January 12, 2024, the film was officially announced to be released on February 10, 2024 (the first day of the Lunar New Year), along with a scheduled poster (that revealed the cast of main actors for the first time) and a preview.
Reception The final box office of the film is 2.454 billion yuan, breaking 9 film history records and ranking 28th on the current box office list of Chinese film history. The film was the 23rd highest grossing film of 2024.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee / Work Result 202437th Hundred Flowers Awards Best PictureArticle 20 Best DirectorZhang Yimou Best WritingLi Meng, Zhang Yimou Best ActressMa Li Best Supporting ActressZhao Liying Best NewcomerLiu Yaowen 19th Changchun Film Festival - Golden Deer AwardBest DirectorZhang Yimou 37th Golden Rooster Awards Best PictureArticle 20 Best DirectorHan Yan Best ActorLei Jiayin Best ActressMa Li Best Supporting ActressZhao Liying Best WritingLi Meng, Zhang Yimou Best Art DirectionLin Mu Best MusicZhao Lin 2025 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards Best Asian Chinese Language Film Article 20
References
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