Although my understanding of Asian history and many Asian cultures has improved as a result of this class, I still suffer a great deal from being stuck, in large, in a "western paradigm". When I first saw "The Last Emperor" in 1987 when it came out, I remember feeling overwhelmed by some of its "surreal" qualities. How could a little boy of 3 be an "emperor"? How could he wield so much power? (turns out, he didn't) How could the EMPEROR become a lowly gardener? 25 years ago, I was mostly impressed by the spectacle of it all. This, after all, is a story that the movie industry dreams of. When I watched the film the other day, my slightly better understanding of historical events deepened my appreciation: the tumultuous period of the early Chinese Republic, the push-pull factors of so many invaders!! (the Russians and very violent Japanese), and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. I will watch this movie again, when I have a few of hours to spare (it is long) as an exercise to understand the "serrendipitous" nature of historical events and its impact on culture.
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