is a 1962 Japanese historical epic film directed by Shigeo Tanaka and produced by Masaichi Nagata for Daiei. The film stars Shintaro Katsu as Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China.
The film became Daiei's second 70 mm production. The public premiere took place at Tokyo's Yuraku-za Theatre on November 1, 1962.
In 221 BC, King Zheng of Qin completes the conquest of rival states and proclaims himself the First Emperor (Qin Shi Huang). Under Chancellor Li Si, the new regime centralizes administration and suppresses dissent, including the persecution of scholars and book burnings.
At court, conspiracies and assassination attempts threaten the emperor while large state projects, including the construction of a frontier wall, intensify the suffering of conscripted laborers. The story follows both the political conflicts and the tragedy of common people caught in forced labor, culminating in a legend-associated collapse of a section of the wall during public unrest and grief.
The Great Wall is a large-scale 70 mm Daiei production and the studio's second 70 mm release following Shaka (1961).
Daiei pursued collaboration with Taiwan's Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC) in part to manage costs and secure large-scale production support, and that exterior filming was conducted at locations including Hsinchu and Miaoli, with participation by Republic of China military personnel.
The film opened theatrically in Japan on November 1, 1962.
International releases circulated under alternate titles. A poster-archive record documents an Italian poster under the title La grande muraglia and links it to the film's English title The Great Wall.
Running time is inconsistent across countries, suggesting multiple cuts. Japanese database listings give approximately 199âÂÂ200 minutes for the Japanese roadshow release. JMDB also notes a later 35 mm Technirama version dated January 27, 1963.
By contrast, the rights-holder catalog lists a 160-minute running time, and Spanish- and Russian-language databases commonly list 104 minutes.
The film screened in West Germany in a shortened 70 mm version under the title Der groÃÂe Wall and notes distribution there by Columbia-Bavaria.
A Japanese DVD release dated January 27, 2006 is listed with an approximately 160-minute running time and notes digital remastering and photo-gallery extras, including posters and press materials. The rights-holder catalog lists a further DVD issue dated January 24, 2014 (catalog number DABA-90942).