| |
|
SCREENING LOG
- 4/15--4/21, 2002
Back to 2002 Index
I watched Small Soldiers, This Life of Mine [Wo zhe yi
bei zi], Monsoon Wedding and Commissioner Lin [Lin
ze xu]. In order of preference:
This Life of Mine [Wo zhe yi bei zi] (1950, Shi Hui)
If youÕve ever wondered what the Chinese version of FORREST
GUMP looked like, hereÕs a fascinating account of 50 tumultuous
years of early 20th century Chinese history seen through the
eyes of a nameless, impoverished Beijing resident. Like Forrest
Gump, he adheres almost blindly to the prevailing (traditional)
sentiments of his national culture, but unlike that feel-good
blockbuster that swept the conflicts of American history under
the rug of warm nostalgia, this masterpiece finds as many
faults as virtues with its heroÕs simple-mindedness. In his
youth he is employed as a policeman and as such becomes witness
to pervasive corruption by the Imperial powers who employ
him; the Nationalist and Japanese regimes that follow donÕt
fare much better. In fact, in what is supposed to be another
Communist propaganda movie, the Communists arenÕt portrayed
in too flattering a light either. In sum, IÕve rarely come
across a film that explores how a nationÕs culture allows
for social injustices to be repeated time after time; the
way these injustices are depicted have a devastating cumulative
impact. Those who think Zhang YimouÕs TO LIVE is the last
word on Chinese history epics should reserve their judgment
until theyÕre fortunate enough to come across this unexpected
treasure. Sadly, the director and star of the film, Shi Hui,
took his own life seven years later under persecution as a
political reactionary.
Small Soldiers (1998, Joe Dante)
I caught this delightful piece of social satire disguised
as childrenÕs movie last weekend on ABCÕs Sunday night movie,
which surprises me since its thinly veiled attack on American
militarism and racism seems to run in the face of George W.Õs
current national security policies. A toy company uses military
microchips to create the ultimate toy soldiers, accompanied
by a race of under-equipped aliens who serve as easy targets
for destruction. The soldiers are unleashed on America and
wreak havoc in the name of patriotic duty and corporate profit.
Unfortunately the film wreaks havoc with whatever point it
is trying to make; the ideology that seems to be espoused
is that of anarchy. But those familiar with DanteÕs work,
especially the GREMLINS movies, shouldnÕt be surprised. For
a kidÕs movie to even attempt some kind of socio-political
critique of kidÕs culture is enough to merit a recommendation.
Monsoon Wedding (2001, Mira Nair)
This film, which is likely to be the first Indian movie
seen by a lot of people, is filled with energy, color and
music, so much that one almost ignores the incredibly contrived
storyline centered around an Indian wedding with participants
coming from around the globe. One should bear in mind that
over-the-top melodrama comes with the territory of Bollywood,
but such allowances reach a certain limit when arranged marriages
and child abuse are treated as mere plot gimmicks and millions
of impoverished Indians are left off-screen for the sake of
detailing the quibbles of the insanely rich. Nonetheless,
itÕs an immensely fun movie as far as cultural tourist cinema
goes, with top kudos going to a must-have soundtrack and spectacular
color photography by Declan Quinn. Look the other way and
youÕll have the time of your life.
Commissioner Lin [Lin ze xu] (1959, Zheng Junli and Qin
Shi)
In the early 19th century Britain aggressively exported
opium to China, leading to trade conflicts that resulted in
BritainÕs takeover of Chinese trade ports by force. The legendary
Commissioner Lin Zexu fought both the British and a corrupt
Chinese bureaucracy to rid China of opium. His story has been
a source of inspiration for the Chinese government to broadcast
its views on two contemporary evils: drugs and foreign businessmen.
This early account of Commissioner LinÕs war on both doesnÕt
shed much insight on the man or his times other than the usual
Communist cliches, but it is notable for showcasing both spectacular
naval battle scenes and white actors, two things I would never
have expected to see in a Chinese movie of that era. Recommended
for those who seek insight on how Mainland Chinese perceive
the Western world Š 40 years later, not much has really changed
in that respect.
Back to 2002 Index
|
