Film Review

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all have been enjoying the summer. I have just posted a film review on a Chinese film titled, Together. You can find it in the Asia in My Classroom Forum. If you have some time check it out. I rented a copy from the Blockbuster on Sunset Blvd. if you are interested in watching it. Great film!

[Anonymous]

i had an absolutely delightful evening watching this movie! when i say "delightful", i mean that the movie was definitely worth the 6 bucks i paid-and then some. it is a somber korean movie set in an breath-taking isolated body of water far away from city-life. the movie was actually, in my opinion, a metaphor for life and it's constant themes. the title, the seasons, the characters all demonstrate the continuance. we witness eastern beliefs through the life of small boy and his master. one example is when the boy has innocent fun hindering animals' movement and the master reacts by encumbering the boy with the same fate. the boy is burdened by a heavy stone tied to his back. karma, reincarnation are explicit throughout. also, when the grown boy commits a murder, the master shows him how to expunge the anger from his heart through carving. the subtitle had some long word that started with a p. i was to slow in reading it. the movie ends with the boy resuming the place of the master and having the opportunity to raise another child.
so much was going on in this movie. i really hate to try to analyze it because i felt it so much. it would be different if i thought the movie silly. A DEFINITE MUST SEE!

[Anonymous]

I believe several participants have seen "Joy Luck Club" and I plan to take a second look at it since it is one I own (I usually rent). It was such a tear jerker, however, that I will probably fall apart if I show it to the class! I would really like to show clips from "The Last Samurai," "Shower," and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The Language Arts lesson would probably be on the topic of themes.

[Anonymous]

Re: Kundun
Posted by lsutton on 9/11/2004 2:38:50 PM
PG13 and worth getting approvals, this Martin Scorsese film tells the true story of Tibet's Dalai Lama and the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Mao's forces in 1950 and the subsequent escape of His Holiness into India. The young Dalai Lama is shown in his early life in the Potala Palace in Llasa with his tutors and his strong interest in science and geography. As he turns 15, he is faced with assuming the political leadership of his country at the time the Chinese Communists invade Tibet under the guise of "liberating" it. For several years, he tries to accommodate the demands of the Chinese who are sent in to "modernize" his country. Finally, after a 1955 meeting in Beijing with Mao, he is told that "religion is poison" and he understands that Buddhism is under direct attack. He escapes over the Himalayan passes into India and establishes a Tibetan exile community at Dharmasala in the Himalayan foothills. No country would come to Tibet's aid against the Chinese aggressors. The landscapes are very true to life and there are some extraordinarily well done scenes, especially the fish pond-to-monks sequence. Disney, under direct political pressure from China, cut back on the release of this film when it came out so it was not in theaters very long, and then, not very many. I snagged a copy of it in a video store and show it every year. Most of the students show good interest in it. There are some bloody scenes so parent signatures would apply. Tibet is in the southwest part of China and represents approximately 1/4 of the area of the entire country. All modern maps show it now to be part of China, although there is a continuing effort to "Free Tibet." The Dalai Lama has never been allowed to return, but his exile has led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the West fulfilling the prophesy of eighth century master Padmasambhava that "Buddhism will go to the land of the red men when the iron bird flies." The book most closely associated with this film is "Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama", ISBN 0-06-039166-2, 1990, HarperCollins publishers. [Edit by="lsutton on Sep 11, 2:47:16 PM"][/Edit]
2. Re:The Good Earth
Posted by lsutton on 9/11/2004 1:51:37 PM
If you read my previous post, you know I've been checking out the films through the library. This is one of the few others that is available. Another Pearl S. Buck was in the file but had been stolen/not returned. So, this was the only one I found that was in English. It's 1937 vintage and stars Paul Muni. It epitomizes the Hollywood discrimination against Chinese by having the main characters all portrayed by Caucasians. I watched this immediately after having listened to the unabridged books-on-tape. The story is about the peasant Chinese farmer and the struggle to survive. He starts with nothing and learns quickly the value of owning and working the land. His wife, a former slave from the House of Wong, works side-by-side with him in the fields even as she gives birth to their children. The importance of sons and devaluing of women (called "slaves") is throughout the book. There is also the difference in crops between north and south (wheat vs rice) described as the family moves south to avoid famine. The story tells about he marauding bandits who terrorize and destroy farms and villages and the uncle who was a member of the gang before moving in as his nephew gained in wealth and prestige. The second wife is brought into the house. Children wed and the transition to the next generation is underway as the story ends. It's doubtful they understand the value in owning the land. I liked the book and reacquainting myself with it. Most people probably recall it from our early days as students. The movie followed along the main lines with little deviation in the story, but the acting was too stilted for modern audiences, in my opinion. I wouldn't use it in the classroom, but would consider assigning the book as an extra credit book report.[Edit by="lsutton on Sep 11, 2:00:33 PM"][/Edit]
I POSTED THREE THIS DAY AND THOUGHT THEY WERE IN FILM REVIEW BUT COULDN'T FIND THERE. SO I WENT TO A SEARCH AND FOUND A LOT OF MY POSTS AREN'T UP ANYMORE.

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