Reviews

First of all, I'm surprised this movie hasn't seen an American release. The style, acting, and direction are all pleasantly up to par with good Hollywood fare.

The film takes us thought the life of a low level bureaucrat who's trying to become the director of the cultural ministry of a medium size Chinese city. Unfortunately, because his allies are all lower in the bureaucratic ladder, he only finds himself as the acting director - running the scenes while the upper level officials keep sending inferior, but better connected, individuals.

From this basic plot flowers a fascinating view of contemporary Chinese society. Sub-plots cover the clash between the old world and the new, accepting one's lot in life, and what it truly takes to be happy - sprinkled with a great mixture of comedy, tragedy, and surprise. At a running time of about 2hrs and 20 minutes, it has enough time to cover roughly 2 years of time without feeling overlong.

The best feature of this film is its accessibility. As a Westerner with no advanced knowledge of Chinese society, I found the characters understandable, approachable, and very sympathetic. The entire cast is exceptional. I recommend tracking down a copy of this movie. If you found any of the above comments appealing, you will bot be disappointed.

I gave it 8 out of 10.

Hibiscus Town is about victimization, humiliation, and salvation in a small Chinese village before, during, and after the Cultural Revolution.

Its central character, born of a capitalist inn keeper, is victimized by the new Communist party director who is jealous of her beauty and success. From this tough beginning we watch her fall from grace in the village, lose everything that is dear, and face further humiliation with the arrival of the cultural revolution. Yet from this dark low we watch her find salvation in those around her and find something worth living for.

This all works to great success thanks to solid acting, directing, and a strong screenplay based on a popular novel. The film does seem a bit awkward at first, but I found it soon pulled me deeper into the story and characters then I had realized. By the second half I truly felt for the protagonists and their cause. The experience is further seasoned by authentic sets and very believable supporting performances, making the village an accessible setting.

Definitely worth a look. (8/10 stars)

I finally got a chance to see "Farewell my Concubine." I'd been anxious to see it since its initial release in 1993. It surprised me in its depth and technical skill.

Three points make this film outstanding. The first is the technical skill of the director and the luscious taste of the director of photography. The entire film is a feast for the eyes, taking full advantage of elaborate costumes and exotic locations. The second strength is in the actual storytelling. The plot is a fascinating tragedy, it feels almost Shakespearean. The acting is nothing short of incredible. Some of China's finest actors demonstrate their ability to carry a story that covers 52 years. Normally, these two strengths alone would be reason enough to see a film, but "Farewell my Concubine" succeeds in satisfying one more category (the bain of any epic): historical accuracy.

"Farewell my Concubine" is exceptionally accurate in portraying the monumental changes that were sweeping China at the time. The film doesn't just treat these events as background events, but drags them right into the plot and pins the characters into their surroundings. This is interesting when you consider that the story takes place in the Peking Opera, not the most likely place for these events to have effect. Instead, as we see the new China emerge, we watch these vestiges of old society fall, and the work of all involved make this transition an achievement to behold. The power of this film was not missed by Chinese censors who banned, removed, and then banned the film again several times over -debating whether or not its artistic brilliance was worth subversive portrayals of suicide and homosexuality. Unlike "The Last Emperor," this film was made by Chinese film makers and is in tune with its subject. I recommend this film highly!

As one last note, the version I saw was a DVD containing the original 170 minute version of the film, in its wide-screen splendor. From what I understand, the shorter versions released internationally deleted and shortened some opera scenes for fear that they would be lost on Western audiences. Having no prior experience with any Peking Opera, I found the scenes fascinating and integral to appreciating the entire story. Spend the extra time if you can.

This film was started before the Communist take over and complete under the watchful eyes of the Nationalists. Although it was filmed as originally scripted (and now seen on video), it was censored of its more politically sensitive material, although the overall message of the film wasn't pro-communist.

Briefly, the film explores the societal problems of the corrupt Nationalist regime of post-WWII China. It takes place in a house that has been commandeered by a corrupt, albeit minor, Nationalist official. The former owner, a well-meaning elder man, has been pushed into a small room in the front. The two other residents, a teacher and his family, and the family of a street merchant (selling American goods) also live under the whims of the greedy and ugly nationalist and his knaiving mistress. While not directly siding with the Communists, the film does portray the Nationalist party as a plague and any revolutionary change as good change. It even goes so far as to stay in touch with the current fighting at the time, with the defeats against the Nationalists playing a role in the film's progress, something the Nationalist government was undoubtedly upset by.

For the casual viewer, its a very old fashioned film that looks and feel much like any other film in the early 40's era -only with a slight change in scenery and culture. Its very watchable, the acting is quite good. The best feature was its frank expression of human greed as the weakness of society (its solution must have found favor in the eyes of the Communist officials).

I never thought a movie would have me say this but, "I can't believe they made this garbage!" Don't get me wrong, I know that bad movies are a part of the Hollywood ecosystem, but this movie jumps the line into outright racism. At the center of this movie is Sally Field playing the normal Sally Field character: a concerned, spirited woman fighting against some societal obstacle. Normally this would only warrant a "ho-hum." In the context of "Not Without my Daughter." It acts as a vehicle for racism. I don't know if anyone in the entire film has ever seen, been to, or talked to anyone from Iran (or anywhere else in the Middle East), but the portrayal of the Iranian people is disgusting. Any educated person with a knowledge of other cultures can see the prejudice seep from every film cell.

I guess it should come as no surprise. The film was after all written by the real life person who escaped the "Iranian menace" portrayed in the film. The film maker, in the desire to make the story powerful, skimped on accuracy and pushed the alien culture factor to the max. The result, as Roger Ebert noted in his review, was rather tainted. I think that this movie can best be described as a mixture of jingoism, star-exploitation, and "Birth of a Nation" all rolled into one painful package. Shelve this one in the propaganda section, right next to the Goebels collection.