Hero is an engaging film about the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, and the “hero” who tells the story of how he has helped to defend the kingdom. The title is based on the character “Nameless”, and the story that leads him to sit before the emperor with the swords of three assassins. The film follows three versions of Nameless’ travels: first Nameless’ version of how he obtains the swords, then what the emperor believes happened, and finally the true sequence of events. Zhang Yimou’s brilliant use of color allows the viewer to easily follow each storyline as the colors of the characters’ clothing change according to each retelling.
The complex story lines in Hero show how different aspects of the same story can be twisted to someone’s own agenda. Zhang Yimou successfully takes each storyline a step further, showing how just one piece of information can change the entire outcome of a story. For example, the image of Nameless is constantly in flux: from hero to assassin and back again. These aspects of the film are interesting and draw the viewer in enough that it can be easy to overlook some of the flaws in the storyline.
In the third telling of Nameless’ story, we discover that he has indeed set out to assassinate the emperor. This is where the story becomes rather odd. Nameless claims that he was an orphan brought up in the Qin Kingdom, but later discovered that he was born in the Zhou Kingdom. Because of this discovery, he has decided he must defend the Zhou against the kingdom and culture in which he grew up. Yet, where does this loyalty come from? If anything, it would make more sense to defend the Kingdom which sheltered him and fight against the Kingdom from which the family who abandoned him came. The story attempts to mostly imply Nameless’ reasoning, but instead this important plot point ends up mostly ignored.
The film’s philosophical ramblings on the symbolism of the character for sword and sacrifice for the greater good cover up some of these more questionable plot lines, as the symbolism becomes more important than the story itself. Even the martial arts become secondary to the ideals of peace. All of the assassins in the film, as well as the emperor himself, contemplate the importance of honor and whether or not a life should be given for the greater good. Much of the actually fighting done in the film is the result of deception and these philosophical debates rather than simply being fights to the top.
Overall, the film is artistically beautiful, and the martial arts live up to the standards for the genre. The storyline itself has a lot of potential in concept, but the film fails to completely carry it out. Were the plot behind the fighting and philosophical ponderings more filled out, the film would have been more complete.
This blog is meant to be a space for the Austin College community to discuss issues related to China and the Chinese language. For author permissions, please write to Dr. Jennifer Thackston Johnson: jtj.at.ac –at- gmail.com. Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
英雄們
英雄們
Hero is one of those great movies that can be viewed and enjoyed on many levels. Zhang Yimou, the director is this martial arts masterpiece, hit the jackpot with this movie. On a purely entertainment level, it encompasses many types of enjoyment. The cinematography is pure genius, with stunning scenes shot from clever angles, breathtaking scenery, and elegant costumes. It appeals to the martial arts enthusiast while also allowing the romantic to sigh at the right moments. Zhang Yimou also sneaks in social commentary in a smooth enough manner that the unobservant eye may not notice, but the seasoned critic would notice, but not be offended by it. My only complaint about the movie, is not even with the movie itself, but the cover. The cover places Zhang Ziyi’s character, Moon, right next to Jet Li’s character, Nameless, who is the hero, implying Moon plays a much larger part than she does.
Hero starts out with sweeping scenes of an intimidating, faceless army of black and red, followed by faceless councilors in black robes. A single man, also dressed in black, is walked down the aisle, surrounded by all these people, strip searched, and then presented to the emperor of Qin as Nameless. It is then that you discover it is set during the chaotic time in China’s history when there were 6 kingdoms, constantly attacking each other, appropriately named Warring States Period. It is also when you realize the emperor of Qin is the man who eventually united China under one name and one language. The story of Hero is actually the telling of a tale being told multiple times, each time with a different series of events that come to the same conclusion. Nameless is an assassin targeting the king, however, his particular ability requires he be within ten steps of the king, a feat only possible if he kills two other assassins. He does so, and when kneeling in front of the king, begins to tell him how he does so. Nameless’ story is told many times, each telling is differentiated by color theme. The king of Qin discovers Nameless’ intentions and is at his mercy, but is spared.
Throughout the movie, color plays an important role. The cold, impersonal king who tries to encompass and unite China under any means necessary is connected to the black and red masses of his subjects. Each story has a different undertone to them, and each color of the scenery and costumes of the characters match the tone. The fresh, innocent greens, passionate reds, clean whites, and calm, reflective blues all symbolize the stories they follow perfectly.
The constant struggle between the individual and the masses which is a dominate topic in all of Zhang Yimou’s movies, such as To Life and Not One Less, is also in Hero. Nameless is a single man fighting against an empire and the emperor is a man against his subjects. A question of contemporary views on ethnic background is also brought up in Hero by the reason behind why Nameless wants to kill the king of Qin.
The acting of the actors are just a bonus to the movie. Jet Li and Daoming Chen both play their parts as the determined believers of their philosophies well. Zhang Ziyi’s character is virtually useless and only added as a means to draw attention to the movie. The most impressive acting in the movie is done by Maggie Cheung, as Flying Snow, and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, as Broken Sword. They both had to play parts with multiple different personalities, and did it well.
I have seen Hero twice now and each time I watch it, I see something new in it. Zhang Yimou has outdone himself in this movie, and it is a great site to see.
China's Population Control Creates Crisis
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/7365367.html
The population control policies (One Child, etc) passed decades back have begun to have a negative impact on the Chinese population. While effective at slowing the overpopulation issue, a lack of young people and an increasing gender imbalance are creating issues with healthcare and a diminishing workforce. It will be interesting to see how this recent information will shape future policymaking.
Hero
英雄
《英雄》, also known as Hero, is a radically different film from Zhang Yimou’s previous works. While there are certainly typical Zhang elements in this film, the differences are stark. Everything from the cinematography to ideological undertones is unique to Hero in a way not previously seen in a Zhang production. I would argue that this film represents a shift from Zhang’s previous experience as a cinematographer to his current role as producer/director. The camera work and political implications serve as evidence of this transformation.
In contrast to his previous films, Zhang focused far more on the characters themselves rather than the setting in which their lives play out. The overly long scenes of landscapes in which nothing was happening are gone. Instead, the beautiful scenery is merely a background to the events taking place. There are very few scenes without a character in them and almost none that are held for an extended period of time. An example of this is when Flying Snow and Broken Sword are waiting for Nameless to return from his assassination attempt while standing on mountain steeps. The camera pans far out to where you see both characters as mere white specs against the orange-brownish background, yet it does not stay there for a grueling amount of time. This insertion of people coupled with shorter time frames makes for a more continuous flow of narration while maintaining the beautiful scenic shots Zhang so favors.
The nature of Hero’s political commentary is also quite different from Zhang’s previous films. In Not One Less and To Live, the issues were mostly rooted in physical issues, like starvation and murder, rather than the ideological turmoil of Hero. While they are both contemporary problems, the extremely critical exegesis of this film is of a grander, more international scale than any of Zhang’s other works. Whether the peace-through-violence ideology is moral or ethical is a hotly contested issue explicitly expressed by the mixed reactions to this film. Many critics believe Zhang is promoting this ideal in allowing Nameless to let the Qin emperor live. I must respectfully disagree with this belief, since it is completely evident that the emperor’s tactics only bring death and destruction, not peace. In fact, as Professor Robert Eng of the University of Redlands stated in his paper “Is Hero a Paean to Authoritarianism?,” “the [Qin] dynasty went down in the flames of rebellions provoked by its cruelty.” This empirical evidence is all that is needed to prove the peace-through-bloodshed method is not only flawed, but retrogressive.
In Hero, Zhang Yimou created a truly breathtaking and powerful film unlike any of his other movies. Through his use of solid script writing and more viewer-friendly cinematography, his transition from cameraman to director is finally realized in this film. The gorgeous scenery, beautiful fight scenes, and engaging plot come together to form a dazzling movie with deep commentary, something every moviegoer can appreciate.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Special Delivery: Chinese Food
Why wait in line at a restaurant when the restaurant can come to you? Haidilao is what's known as a "hot pot" restaurant. This particular restaurant has figured out how to bring the deliciousness of Chinese takeout to the comforts of your home. It's like pizza deliveries except with Chinese food and a pot and a delivery man who even brings a trash can! The delivery man is equipped with all the tools necessary to ensure a comfortable and problem free dining experience.The prices are also pretty cheap. Only ten bucks?? Screw McDonalds (they deliver too apparently). I'm getting Haidilao.
Hero
Hero by Zhang Yimou is a sweeping epic of a martial arts film. It tells the fictional tale of the hero Nameless, and his plan to attempt to assassinate the Emperor of Qin. Featuring an intricately woven narrative, beautifully stunning cinematography, and high flying martial arts action, this film seems to have everything. It also demonstrates the conflict between the individual and the collective; the Emperor wishes to unite the land for the greater good, and the assassins of other tribes resist him.
The narrative, while possibly somewhat confusing for a first time viewer, is a finely crafted one. The majority of the story is told through a series of three flashbacks, as Nameless and the Emperor discuss the events that lead them to confront each other. This does lead to some sense of repetition as the same story is told three different ways, but each retelling has enough differences to justify it. The use of colors to link the stories together also adds a great deal of beauty to them; of particular note is the climactic battle in the first story between Snow and Moon in the falling leaves, which makes for a scene of near unparalleled beauty. The fight sequences are also masterfully shot in breathtaking detail.
Over the course of the film, the characters' motives and desires are revealed, and are all generally sympathetic. The assassins wish to continue their clans independent way of life, while the Emperor wishes to unite them all under the Qin banner to stop the endless feuding. This develops one of the central themes of the movie; that of the conflict between the individual and the collective. While at first glance, the movie seems to support collectivist ideology, and indeed, even to be an apology for the Communist government, closer inspection reveals this to be not entirely the case. This is perhaps best demonstrated in one of the final scenes of the movie, where the Emperor orders Nameless to be executed, despite Nameless' belief in the Emperor's ideals, and the Emperor's own reluctance to do so. Urged on by the faceless hoard of his bureaucratic advisers, the Emperor, as an individual, is trapped by his own ideology.
Even with the possible controversy regarding the film's message, the brilliant cinematography, excellently crafted narrative, stellar action scenes, and well portrayed and sympathetic characters, the movie is well worth watching.
Treasures Pose Ethics Issues for Smithsonian
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/arts/design/smithsonian-sunken-treasure-show-poses-ethics-questions.html
By KATE TAYLOR
Amid mounting calls by scientists for the Smithsonian Institution to cancel
a planned exhibition of Chinese artifacts salvaged from a shipwreck, the
institution will hold a meeting on Monday afternoon to hear from critics.
The contents of the exhibition, ³Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon
Winds,² were mined by a commercial treasure hunter and not according to
academic methods, a practice that many archaeologists deplore, equating it
with modern-day piracy.
In an April 5 letter to the top official at the Smithsonian, G. Wayne
Clough, a group of archaeologists and anthropologists from the National
Academy of Sciences ‹ including Robert McCormick Adams, a former leader of
the Smithsonian ‹ wrote that proceeding with the exhibition would ³severely
damage the stature and reputation² of the institution.
The members of the National Academy of Sciences are not alone. In recent
weeks organizations including the Society for American Archaeology, the
Council of American Maritime Museums and the International Committee for
Underwater Cultural Heritage, as well as groups within the Smithsonian,
including the members of the anthropology department and the Senate of
Scientists at its National Museum of Natural History, have urged Mr. Clough
to reconsider.
The exhibition was conceived by the government of Singapore, which owns the
artifacts, and Julian Raby, the director of the Freer Gallery of Art and the
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian¹s two Asian art museums. It is on
display in Singapore through July and will then travel internationally.
Although the Smithsonian says it has not made a final decision, the
exhibition ‹ which includes glazed pottery, rare pieces of early
blue-and-white porcelain and the largest gold cup ever found from the Tang
Dynasty (618-907) ‹ is tentatively set to arrive at the Sackler in the
spring of 2012.
Monday¹s meeting was called by Mr. Raby and Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian¹s
undersecretary for history, art and culture. A final decision about whether
to proceed will likely be made in late May, according to a Smithsonian
spokeswoman, Linda St. Thomas.
The probable historical importance of the shipwreck, which was discovered by
fishermen off Belitung Island in Indonesia in 1998, has only inflamed the
debate.
The ship, which is believed to be Arab, was filled with a cargo of
ninth-century Chinese ceramics and gold and silver vessels. Its discovery
suggests that Tang China had substantial sea trade with the Middle East;
scholars had previously thought that the trade routes were primarily over
land, along the Silk Road.
The exhibition ³brings to life the tale of Sinbad sailing to China to make
his fortune,² Mr. Raby said this year. (Mr. Raby declined to be interviewed
for this article, according to a spokeswoman, because he wanted to keep an
open mind for Monday¹s discussion.)
Archaeologists, however, say that because the shipwreck was commercially
mined within a period of months, rather than the many years that a more
structured archaeological excavation would have taken, much of the
information it might have provided about the ship¹s crew and cargo was lost.
Kimberly L. Faulk, a marine archeologist and vice chairwoman of the
nongovernmental Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, said in an
e-mail that by proceeding with the exhibition the Smithsonian ‹ which is a
research institution as well as a network of museums ‹ would be violating
its own set of professional ethics and promoting the looting of
archaeological sites.
Commercial treasure hunting is a high-stakes world. Companies sometimes
spend millions of dollars searching for and mining a shipwreck and then
cleaning up the finds in the hope of selling the artifacts for a huge profit
at the end.
The company that salvaged the Belitung wreck, Seabed Explorations, is run by
a German engineer, Tilman Walterfang. In the early 1990s Mr. Walterfang was
a director at a concrete company in Germany when his Indonesian employees¹
stories about the rumors of shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the ocean in
Indonesia prompted him to move across the world.
Although a 2001 Unesco convention outlawed the commercial trade in
underwater heritage, Indonesia has not ratified it. (Neither has the United
States.) Indonesia allows commercial mining of shipwrecks as long as a
company is licensed and splits its finds with the government.
In an e-mail Mr. Walterfang said that when fisherman first discovered the
shipwreck in early August 1998, the Indonesian government, fearful of
looting, ordered Seabed Explorations to begin an immediate round-the-clock
recovery operation. It started within days.
Although Mr. Walterfang eventually brought in a pair of archaeologists,
including one, Michael Flecker, who wrote two journal articles about the
ship, Mr. Walterfang conceded that, from an academic standpoint, ³the
overall situation would without doubt be described as Œless than ideal.¹ ²
After fielding interest from China, Seabed Explorations sold the majority of
the 63,000 artifacts recovered to a company owned by the Singapore
government, for $32 million.
The Indonesian government kept slightly more than 8,000 objects from this
ship, along with $2.5 million and finds from another ship excavated by Mr.
Walterfang. Some artifacts have ended up on eBay and other online sites; Mr.
Walterfang said that these were probably looted by fishermen while the
recovery process was halted for the monsoon season, between December 1998
and March 1999.
Mr. Walterfang was dismissive of the exhibition¹s critics, suggesting that
the exhibition was being used as a ³Ping-Pong ball in yet another political
game for the social climbers in Washington, D.C.²
Mr. Flecker, the archaeologist who studied the ship, argued in a 2002
article in The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology that the purist
approach of many archaeologists was not practical in developing countries
like Indonesia, where governments are poor and the risk of looting is high.
In those circumstances, he wrote, archaeologists and commercial salvagers
should cooperate ³to document those sites and the artifacts recovered from
them before too much information is lost.²
But in the eyes of archaeologists like James P. Delgado, the director of
maritime heritage at the United States Department of Commerce National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, allowing any of the finds from an
excavation to be sold betrays the most basic aspects of research, in which
³sometimes it¹s the smallest things that we come back to that make the great
leaps forward.²
Mr. Delgado said he wished the Belitung shipwreck had been academically
excavated. But unlike some of his colleagues, he said that instead of
canceling the exhibition, the Smithsonian could use it to educate the public
about the consequences of the commercialization of underwater heritage.
If, however, the exhibition merely celebrates the discovery without
addressing the problematic context, Mr. Delgado added, ³there will be a
clear message to Indonesia² that these practices ³are fine,² and to other
countries with rich maritime heritage to ³engage in these things and sell it
off.²
By KATE TAYLOR
Amid mounting calls by scientists for the Smithsonian Institution to cancel
a planned exhibition of Chinese artifacts salvaged from a shipwreck, the
institution will hold a meeting on Monday afternoon to hear from critics.
The contents of the exhibition, ³Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon
Winds,² were mined by a commercial treasure hunter and not according to
academic methods, a practice that many archaeologists deplore, equating it
with modern-day piracy.
In an April 5 letter to the top official at the Smithsonian, G. Wayne
Clough, a group of archaeologists and anthropologists from the National
Academy of Sciences ‹ including Robert McCormick Adams, a former leader of
the Smithsonian ‹ wrote that proceeding with the exhibition would ³severely
damage the stature and reputation² of the institution.
The members of the National Academy of Sciences are not alone. In recent
weeks organizations including the Society for American Archaeology, the
Council of American Maritime Museums and the International Committee for
Underwater Cultural Heritage, as well as groups within the Smithsonian,
including the members of the anthropology department and the Senate of
Scientists at its National Museum of Natural History, have urged Mr. Clough
to reconsider.
The exhibition was conceived by the government of Singapore, which owns the
artifacts, and Julian Raby, the director of the Freer Gallery of Art and the
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian¹s two Asian art museums. It is on
display in Singapore through July and will then travel internationally.
Although the Smithsonian says it has not made a final decision, the
exhibition ‹ which includes glazed pottery, rare pieces of early
blue-and-white porcelain and the largest gold cup ever found from the Tang
Dynasty (618-907) ‹ is tentatively set to arrive at the Sackler in the
spring of 2012.
Monday¹s meeting was called by Mr. Raby and Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian¹s
undersecretary for history, art and culture. A final decision about whether
to proceed will likely be made in late May, according to a Smithsonian
spokeswoman, Linda St. Thomas.
The probable historical importance of the shipwreck, which was discovered by
fishermen off Belitung Island in Indonesia in 1998, has only inflamed the
debate.
The ship, which is believed to be Arab, was filled with a cargo of
ninth-century Chinese ceramics and gold and silver vessels. Its discovery
suggests that Tang China had substantial sea trade with the Middle East;
scholars had previously thought that the trade routes were primarily over
land, along the Silk Road.
The exhibition ³brings to life the tale of Sinbad sailing to China to make
his fortune,² Mr. Raby said this year. (Mr. Raby declined to be interviewed
for this article, according to a spokeswoman, because he wanted to keep an
open mind for Monday¹s discussion.)
Archaeologists, however, say that because the shipwreck was commercially
mined within a period of months, rather than the many years that a more
structured archaeological excavation would have taken, much of the
information it might have provided about the ship¹s crew and cargo was lost.
Kimberly L. Faulk, a marine archeologist and vice chairwoman of the
nongovernmental Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, said in an
e-mail that by proceeding with the exhibition the Smithsonian ‹ which is a
research institution as well as a network of museums ‹ would be violating
its own set of professional ethics and promoting the looting of
archaeological sites.
Commercial treasure hunting is a high-stakes world. Companies sometimes
spend millions of dollars searching for and mining a shipwreck and then
cleaning up the finds in the hope of selling the artifacts for a huge profit
at the end.
The company that salvaged the Belitung wreck, Seabed Explorations, is run by
a German engineer, Tilman Walterfang. In the early 1990s Mr. Walterfang was
a director at a concrete company in Germany when his Indonesian employees¹
stories about the rumors of shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the ocean in
Indonesia prompted him to move across the world.
Although a 2001 Unesco convention outlawed the commercial trade in
underwater heritage, Indonesia has not ratified it. (Neither has the United
States.) Indonesia allows commercial mining of shipwrecks as long as a
company is licensed and splits its finds with the government.
In an e-mail Mr. Walterfang said that when fisherman first discovered the
shipwreck in early August 1998, the Indonesian government, fearful of
looting, ordered Seabed Explorations to begin an immediate round-the-clock
recovery operation. It started within days.
Although Mr. Walterfang eventually brought in a pair of archaeologists,
including one, Michael Flecker, who wrote two journal articles about the
ship, Mr. Walterfang conceded that, from an academic standpoint, ³the
overall situation would without doubt be described as Œless than ideal.¹ ²
After fielding interest from China, Seabed Explorations sold the majority of
the 63,000 artifacts recovered to a company owned by the Singapore
government, for $32 million.
The Indonesian government kept slightly more than 8,000 objects from this
ship, along with $2.5 million and finds from another ship excavated by Mr.
Walterfang. Some artifacts have ended up on eBay and other online sites; Mr.
Walterfang said that these were probably looted by fishermen while the
recovery process was halted for the monsoon season, between December 1998
and March 1999.
Mr. Walterfang was dismissive of the exhibition¹s critics, suggesting that
the exhibition was being used as a ³Ping-Pong ball in yet another political
game for the social climbers in Washington, D.C.²
Mr. Flecker, the archaeologist who studied the ship, argued in a 2002
article in The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology that the purist
approach of many archaeologists was not practical in developing countries
like Indonesia, where governments are poor and the risk of looting is high.
In those circumstances, he wrote, archaeologists and commercial salvagers
should cooperate ³to document those sites and the artifacts recovered from
them before too much information is lost.²
But in the eyes of archaeologists like James P. Delgado, the director of
maritime heritage at the United States Department of Commerce National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, allowing any of the finds from an
excavation to be sold betrays the most basic aspects of research, in which
³sometimes it¹s the smallest things that we come back to that make the great
leaps forward.²
Mr. Delgado said he wished the Belitung shipwreck had been academically
excavated. But unlike some of his colleagues, he said that instead of
canceling the exhibition, the Smithsonian could use it to educate the public
about the consequences of the commercialization of underwater heritage.
If, however, the exhibition merely celebrates the discovery without
addressing the problematic context, Mr. Delgado added, ³there will be a
clear message to Indonesia² that these practices ³are fine,² and to other
countries with rich maritime heritage to ³engage in these things and sell it
off.²
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
“For the Greater Good..”: A review of Hero
The central theme of this film is the good of the whole over the good of a few, individual versus collective. The challenge of holding together such a large and great empire as was a challenging for the Qin Dynasty of Xi’an almost 2000 years ago as it was for the Ming, Qing, and CCP of Beijing. Historically coving more land and diverse cultures than most of the empires of the world, holding together the Middle Kingdom has been a great challenge – although not unique. To hold together the vast land the idea that the good of the many outweighed the good of the few was necessary. This idea is embodied by the quote (from the film) “One person’s pain is nothing, when compared to the suffering of all.” This is the ideal which drives the end action of the most powerful figures in the film, The King, Nameless, and Broken sward. In the end Nameless was willing to die to uphold the ideal of one kingdom. This idea of holding together the large territory at all cost is one that has resonated time and again in Chinese history. Used by governments and the Chinese people throughout time the ideal of one nation has been used against dissidents for thousands of years.
In Chinese tradition the Emperor was the sovereign of all under heaven (天下). He was ordained as having the mandate of heaven and thereby ruler of the whole world, starting at the capital and working out to the barbarian tribes. Indeed, until modern times, China was the center of the Asian universe and most of the neighboring nations and tribes had to pay tribute to the Emperor. The film depicts the legend of Qin Shi Huang the historical – but who’s legend is largely mythical - emperor who first unites China (much smaller than it is today). The historical Qin Shi Huang was a lot less self-sacrificing then the legend in the film, spending vast resources and countless lives to build his tomb and accompanying army as an afterlife bodyguard detail (to protect against the many enemies he made in this life.) Since that time the vast territory has gone through many stages of division and unity. In order to maintain the order, peace, and prosperity of unity costly sacrifices had to be made.
The most revered characters in Hero Nameless, The King, and Broken Sword understood this idea of the good of the many over the good of the individual. Broken Sword and Nameless ended up dyeing to prove their belief that the unity of all under heaven was more important than their lives. China (and Asian in general) is seen by some, wither truthful or not, as a collective society instead of an individualist one. In the film the ‘Heroes’ not only understand this ideal but embody it, believing that peace, tranquility, and prosperity would only come after unification and the eventual laying down of arms.
The primary issue hindering the unification if China, then and now, is the vast diversity of cultures which encompassing the land. In the film each of the characters had an avid loyalty to their home kingdom and staked their life and honor on defending their culture. It is this strong since of idinity to one’s ethnic group which hinders the King’s goal of unification. With over fifty recognized identities (although 400 applied to be recognized), it is the since of ethic identity which still creates divides in China today. Ethnic and regional divisions of language are one of the primary dividing factors in China. In the film the king promised to unite the land under one system of language, I goal which was not realized until almost two thousand years later with the spread of standard mandarin –and is still far from universal. In my personal experience traveling between remote Tibetan villages our guides from one village could only communicate to people in other villages with mandarin Chinese, because there is no universal spoken Tibetan language.
This film is a dreamy, ideological film about honor, legends, tranquility, beauty, and Chinese philosophical ideals of inner calm. It is definitely a cheesy ideological film meant to glorify a legend and bestow on the audience a sense of stoic honor and general ‘fuzzy feelings’ which make this film great. In what I would consider to be the most graphically stunning pieces of cinematography I have ever seen, the film creates a dream. Letting you float away in to a world of art, beauty, and honor we wish we could live in. The film makes you believe in a place where self-sacrifice leads to peace, honor leads to glory, and sword masters can walk on water. Blending the world of legend and reality the film creates a dream for the future. Yes, this is one the few films where I let myself drink the cool-aid.
U.S is Getting Beat by the Commies!
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/25/what-does-it-mean-that-chinas-economy-could-surpass-u-s-s-in-5-years/?iref=allsearch
China's economy will soon surpass the United States. We are not progressing. The United States is in major debt, high unemployment rate, and the housing market is still in the toilet. The U.S. needs to get itself on track!
暑假快到了 =/
我今天跟朋友們聊天的時候才注意到我們只有兩個星期多就要放暑假了。我平常時候想到這件事就會很開心，可是今年有一點不一樣。我今年認識了超多好人，好朋友。我一想到很快就不能每天看到他們，跟他們聊天，就有一點塲心。我上大學上了三年了，但是我在這個學校認識的朋友們和老師會是我放假的時候最想的。我每次想到我差不多三個月不能看到我的朋友們就心裏有一點黑。我希望我朋友們和江老師暑假玩的很好玩，這樣我會很高興。
Monday, April 25, 2011
Successful for All the Wrong Reasons?
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/china/2011-04/25/content_12385397.htm
China has announced that it wants to be the most popular Asian destination for foreign students, and it intends to reach this goal by drastically increasing available scholarship money. The plan seems to be working, but it is possible that there are other reasons for an increased interest in China. Chinese departments in schools across the United States started expanding their programs and gaining a wider base of interest long before China expressed a desire to draw more attention to themselves among college students. So although the new scholarships present more study abroad opportunities, the interest seemed to develop domestically and prior to these new opportunities.
Personally, I am drawn to Chinese studies by the miraculous rise and persistence of the Communist Party. My interest in Asian cultures and languages began when I was a child growing up in Singapore, but my more recent interest in China specifically stems from my interest in the Maoist Era and the detrimental legacy left behind. There are countless, seemingly unmanageable issues, that would have by now consumed the country if it was not for the rampant materialism, and I assume there are those who study China with the naïve hope that they can make a difference before the fate of the Chinese is decided by any number of factors. Unfortunately, I am one of them. There are innumerable crises that are only building in magnitude and environmental degradation, mounting inequality, and oppression are only three highlights. So perhaps China is succeeding in its goal to attract more foreign students, but is there also a possibility that the desperate situation in China is the pull factor and the scholarships only provide more access?
China has announced that it wants to be the most popular Asian destination for foreign students, and it intends to reach this goal by drastically increasing available scholarship money. The plan seems to be working, but it is possible that there are other reasons for an increased interest in China. Chinese departments in schools across the United States started expanding their programs and gaining a wider base of interest long before China expressed a desire to draw more attention to themselves among college students. So although the new scholarships present more study abroad opportunities, the interest seemed to develop domestically and prior to these new opportunities.
Personally, I am drawn to Chinese studies by the miraculous rise and persistence of the Communist Party. My interest in Asian cultures and languages began when I was a child growing up in Singapore, but my more recent interest in China specifically stems from my interest in the Maoist Era and the detrimental legacy left behind. There are countless, seemingly unmanageable issues, that would have by now consumed the country if it was not for the rampant materialism, and I assume there are those who study China with the naïve hope that they can make a difference before the fate of the Chinese is decided by any number of factors. Unfortunately, I am one of them. There are innumerable crises that are only building in magnitude and environmental degradation, mounting inequality, and oppression are only three highlights. So perhaps China is succeeding in its goal to attract more foreign students, but is there also a possibility that the desperate situation in China is the pull factor and the scholarships only provide more access?
Killer's Pain
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-04/14/content_12327616.htm
There is a big controversy going on about what Li Meijin a lead criminal psychologist said "Although criminal offenders are seen as demons in the eyes of most people, I just tried to make more understand that the bad guys had gone through pain and desolation before they turned bad" Many "netizens" took this as an offensive statement. They claim that by saying this Li is saying killing is an art, or that she does not care for the victims of murder. That is not true how ever Li is just trying to say it is a good idea to learn why people can become killers.
There is a big controversy going on about what Li Meijin a lead criminal psychologist said "Although criminal offenders are seen as demons in the eyes of most people, I just tried to make more understand that the bad guys had gone through pain and desolation before they turned bad" Many "netizens" took this as an offensive statement. They claim that by saying this Li is saying killing is an art, or that she does not care for the victims of murder. That is not true how ever Li is just trying to say it is a good idea to learn why people can become killers.
Drunk driving
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-04/21/content_12367136.htm
Law makers in China want to take away drunk driver's licenses away for ten years. That is a really long time to not be able to drive. Yes i think that, that is a pretty harsh punishment i think it should be taken away but not for ten years. However i do not think it would be as bad as having your licenses taken away if you live in the US. China has better public transportation then the US and most people already us that so it would not be to hard to get where you want to go without a licenses. Compered to the US if you are not able to drive it is very difficult to get around, because the public transportation is not the best here because it is almost expected for every one to have a car.
Law makers in China want to take away drunk driver's licenses away for ten years. That is a really long time to not be able to drive. Yes i think that, that is a pretty harsh punishment i think it should be taken away but not for ten years. However i do not think it would be as bad as having your licenses taken away if you live in the US. China has better public transportation then the US and most people already us that so it would not be to hard to get where you want to go without a licenses. Compered to the US if you are not able to drive it is very difficult to get around, because the public transportation is not the best here because it is almost expected for every one to have a car.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Communism against Religions
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/world/asia/25church.html?ref=asia
While the American people were busy searching for plastic eggs filled with candy, eating Eater brunch, and enjoying the company of friends and family, a congregation of evangelical Protestents, called Shouwang, were busy being detained within their homes or taken into custody by the Chinese communist government after trying to hold Easter services in a public square.
While the American people were busy searching for plastic eggs filled with candy, eating Eater brunch, and enjoying the company of friends and family, a congregation of evangelical Protestents, called Shouwang, were busy being detained within their homes or taken into custody by the Chinese communist government after trying to hold Easter services in a public square.
The ever changing faces of the Chinese
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/world/asia/24beijing.html?ref=asia
I once heard that about 60% of South Korean women get cosmetic surgery. That's a lot of face changing; however, South Korea is not the only country newly obsessed with having the perfect image. The Chinese are right there along with them. In fact, in terms of the amount of cosmetic surgery done, China ranks in at number three, behind the United States and Brazil. Honestly, I don't care whether the Chinese want to change their faces, apparently it is an accepted part of life now, no big deal. What I do find frightening is the fact that about half of the locations performing the surgeries are below par and do not follow government regulations. The cosmetic surgery is currently generating $2.3 million in profit, because of this the government should and probably will be taking a bigger role in this industry.
I once heard that about 60% of South Korean women get cosmetic surgery. That's a lot of face changing; however, South Korea is not the only country newly obsessed with having the perfect image. The Chinese are right there along with them. In fact, in terms of the amount of cosmetic surgery done, China ranks in at number three, behind the United States and Brazil. Honestly, I don't care whether the Chinese want to change their faces, apparently it is an accepted part of life now, no big deal. What I do find frightening is the fact that about half of the locations performing the surgeries are below par and do not follow government regulations. The cosmetic surgery is currently generating $2.3 million in profit, because of this the government should and probably will be taking a bigger role in this industry.
Chinese, International Producers Beat Path to Co-Productions
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinese-international-producers-beat-path-181732
With the start of the Beijing Film Festival, Hollywood producers and directors have a chance to meet with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the possibilities of co-producing films. Many of the recent Chinese blockbusters have seen international exposure, primarily due to foreign participation. Despite this success, it is still hard for such ventures to succeed, as gaining approval for films is often a difficult task, as the state run approval board moves its standards. Other problems are also Chinese investors not knowing how to create new storytelling methods.
With the start of the Beijing Film Festival, Hollywood producers and directors have a chance to meet with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the possibilities of co-producing films. Many of the recent Chinese blockbusters have seen international exposure, primarily due to foreign participation. Despite this success, it is still hard for such ventures to succeed, as gaining approval for films is often a difficult task, as the state run approval board moves its standards. Other problems are also Chinese investors not knowing how to create new storytelling methods.
大斋节
因为这个月我不吃小粉，所以我长饿了。大斋节过得真快，马上就要吃小粉。我想吃饺子，家常豆腐，酸辣汤，白菜，米饭，面，青菜，糖醋鱼，红烧肉，两边黄瓜。甜食我想吃冰淇淋，西瓜，梨。我觉得这个餐很好吃。有的时候我梦想吃这个餐。 不笑我。我告诉真的。98这个星期天我吃素汉堡包。 虽然不好吃，我吃真快。我也吃很多饼干。。。很好吃！现在我看韩国做饭电视。我觉得韩国菜比中国菜好吃。小的时候我韩国妈妈平常做韩国菜， 所以我很喜欢行国菜。
Strike reinforces China’s fear of inflation
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/030231de-6e68-11e0-a13b-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1KSzw4qtp
In light of China's inflation problems, and rising diesel costs, the truckers of Shanghai have gone one strike. In an effort to keep news of this from spreading, a media blackout of the issue is in effect on the mainland. With Beijing having raised fuel prices twice already this year, and inflation expected to continue, China is discovering that inflation could prove to be a volatile trigger.
In light of China's inflation problems, and rising diesel costs, the truckers of Shanghai have gone one strike. In an effort to keep news of this from spreading, a media blackout of the issue is in effect on the mainland. With Beijing having raised fuel prices twice already this year, and inflation expected to continue, China is discovering that inflation could prove to be a volatile trigger.
我希望去旅行
商各周末我的爸爸给我打电话。他告诉我这个暑假他跟他的女朋友去纽约放假。本来我觉得一店悲，然后我上火。我说：“非常好。这是四次你跟你的女朋友去放假省我。好吧！我也想去放假， 只我去。下个暑假我想去欧洲背包游。 去年我完大学期的时，你马上给我钱。我订飞机票，去欧洲。以后我们刮断。我不知道我想哪儿去。等一下我觉得一店。那我知道我想哪儿去。第一步，我想去匈牙利，看布达佩斯。然后去奥地利，看维也纳。然后去瑞士，看阿尔卑斯。然后去意大利，看罗马，那那不勒斯，庞培，佛罗伦萨。然后去德国，看柏林，也看慕尼黑，法兰克福。然后去捷克，看布拉格。 然后去比利时，看布鲁日，也看比利时的首都，布鲁塞尔。然后去荷兰，看我的家人和郭我的生日。我住在一下，然后去英国，看我的表姐，也看雪梨。然后去苏格兰，看爱丁堡。然后去爱尔兰，看都柏林。我的旅行万的时候我回家。
我的家人的丑剧
我知道我的爸爸真爱我，也我真爱他。可是有的时候我不喜欢他。因为我的爸爸有一个女朋友。他们认识已经二十多年了，可是他们开始谈恋爱十年了。我十五的时候他们结婚。 一个月以后他们离婚。但是还谈恋爱。在德时候我觉得他们都是笨蛋。我的爸爸的女朋友五十四岁了。她除了不好看以外，还很胖。她又两个孩子。一个女儿，一个儿子。我也不喜欢他的女儿。我觉得他很笨蛋。他有一个丈夫， 和两个孩子。但是我觉得他是漂亮，可是她身体不真的，他一个身体部分也没有。我小的时候他平常告诉我：“杜慧珍，你很笨蛋。 我比你又聪明又用心。我小的时候我相信他说什么。可是现在我不相信。我觉得他很贼， 也很没用。她没完念大学，她没有工作。现在我们不聊天。虽然我不喜欢绝大我的家人，我喜欢我的爸爸的女朋友的儿子。他是我的哥哥。虽然他而是七岁了，我觉得他很酷。
我的家人的丑剧
我知道我的爸爸真爱我，也我真爱他。可是有的时候我不喜欢他。因为我的爸爸有一个女朋友。他们认识已经二十多年了，可是他们开始谈恋爱十年了。我十五的时候他们结婚。 一个月以后他们离婚。但是还谈恋爱。在德时候我觉得他们都是笨蛋。我的爸爸的女朋友五十四岁了。她除了不好看以外，还很胖。她又两个孩子。一个女儿，一个儿子。我也不喜欢他的女儿。我觉得他很笨蛋。他有一个丈夫， 和两个孩子。但是我觉得他是漂亮，可是她身体不真的，他一个身体部分也没有。我小的时候他平常告诉我：“杜慧珍，你很笨蛋。 我比你又聪明又用心。我小的时候我相信他说什么。可是现在我不相信。我觉得他很贼， 也很没用。她没完念大学，她没有工作。现在我们不聊天。虽然我不喜欢绝大我的家人，我喜欢我的爸爸的女朋友的儿子。他是我的哥哥。虽然他而是七岁了，我觉得他很酷。
Friday, April 22, 2011
China Mobile
China Mobile has garnered more than 600 million subscribers after the number of rural customers increased. Rural customers, however, probably don't use their phones as often, therefore they spend less on their bill. So, China Mobile's revenue have gone down. China Mobile hopes to increase their profits by offering more 3G users better service at a higher price.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wanna Go To Beijing for Janterm 2012?
For Janterm 2012:
Changing Ideas of China
What is “China Xi’an
Spread the word! Open to any and all!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Shanghai Baby
“Shanghai Baby”, by Wei Hui:
Wei Hui’s novel is straight-forward: through the first pages, characters, setting and plot are laid out.
In today’s cosmopolitan Shanghai lives Coco, the narrator (in many ways the author herself). Young, bright, and beautiful, the writer of a few successful short stories presents herself as a confident and educated woman (alum of the prestigious Fudan U). The reader of the novel may add to the list a high libido. By her side, sharing her life and his apartment, is TianTian, Coco's impotent but true soul-mate. Tiantian will die. He is a handsome man described as "a fetus soaking in formaldehyde who owed his life to unadulterated love, and his death was inextricably linked to that love." Tiantian lives with the spleen of a Shanghai Beaudelaire, a dark angel touched by despair due to a complicated family history. The second main figure in Coco’s world is Mark, a married German businessman met at a party. His maleness and sexuality becomes quickly part of Coco’s unbalanced sentimental life. Orbiting the novel is present a small circle of friends. Thus is set the story: a pretty woman with a high libido, two men, one condemned the other married, a city, a book, few friends, and the family.
In the midst of what could be seen as a chaotic life and thus novel, is the book Coco has set herself to write following the request of Tiantian. The drafting of the book will be the leading thread of the novel, the element that forces her to go from point A to a point B.
Wei Hui’s prose is sensual, up-beat, self absorbed, sprawling and decadent. Quotes from various figures, from Milan Kundera to Mother Teresa via Henry Miller "the spiritual father", punctuate her narrative. The tone of the book has an underlying tension, a little like Coco’s life. A lot of references, sensual and sexual, to tobacco, alcohol and drugs, are part of the set. But present also is the artistic side of creation and passion. In addition, the diverse relationships are dictated by love taking different shapes and roles: parents to child, man to woman and vice versa, woman to woman, man to man. Attached to this notion of love is a waltz of feelings: desire, need, lust, but also negligence, abandonment, torment, and despair. The overall result is a feeling of great confusion that emanate from the young generation.
A few days after having finished the book, I felt that the confusion present in the book turned into a feeling of great emptiness on the part of the novel overall and needless self-inflicted sufferings on the part of the characters. Concerning the emptiness of the novel: how could it be since there were so many references and quotes from different famous intellectuals, singers, etc to feed Coco’s thoughts? In that sense, the novel questions the purpose of the education of the narrator. She certainly attended one of the most prestigious Chinese universities, competed with thousands of other students to get there, and finally is part of a close circle of intellectuals… nevertheless, one can wonder to what end?
The notion of education is raised. What is called education and what is the goal of an education? In the case of Coco, her education is measured in terms of culture, liberated sex life and also, I think, in terms of self-perception as higher than other.
While the ultimate goal of education is outside the scope of this review, my mention of the issue is to show that finally the education of Coco is useless (at least at the moment). The first reason is that she doesn’t seem to find fulfillment and that she drifts in a self destructing way regardless of this education. The second reason is that she doesn’t turn her education toward the benefit of the society and others.
Finally the answer to her ill being is actually addressed by her father in the book. Himself an intellectual (he is a professor), he tells her:
“Don’t become complacent about your status as an author; first you’re a human being and a woman- and only third, an author”. This quote means that that she needs to come down from her pedestal as a writer to face life as a human being: a being of flesh that breathes, eats, and interacts with others first before being an intellectual.
Overall I think the novel is worth reading to discover another aspect of China and of Chinese youth culture: a cosmopolitan youth that has succeeded but that is nevertheless deprived of goals in a society that is in perpetual motion (here Shanghai). In a way this golden youth feels lost and overwhelmed by the reality of life and the materialism around them. In response to this feeling of loss, they escape by recreating an artificial underworld of sex, alcohol and drugs that is, at the end, not fulfilling because it turns out to be ephemeral and self-destructive. As a result, the book leaves a slight taste of sadness and frustration.
"The ferries, the waves, the night-dark grass, the dazzling neon lights, and incredible structures-all these signs of material prosperity are aphrodisiacs the city uses to intoxicate itself. They have nothing to do with us, the people who live among them. A car accident or a disease can kill us, but the city's prosperous, invincible silhouette is like a planet, in perpetual motion, eternal"
Wei Hui’s novel is straight-forward: through the first pages, characters, setting and plot are laid out.
In today’s cosmopolitan Shanghai lives Coco, the narrator (in many ways the author herself). Young, bright, and beautiful, the writer of a few successful short stories presents herself as a confident and educated woman (alum of the prestigious Fudan U). The reader of the novel may add to the list a high libido. By her side, sharing her life and his apartment, is TianTian, Coco's impotent but true soul-mate. Tiantian will die. He is a handsome man described as "a fetus soaking in formaldehyde who owed his life to unadulterated love, and his death was inextricably linked to that love." Tiantian lives with the spleen of a Shanghai Beaudelaire, a dark angel touched by despair due to a complicated family history. The second main figure in Coco’s world is Mark, a married German businessman met at a party. His maleness and sexuality becomes quickly part of Coco’s unbalanced sentimental life. Orbiting the novel is present a small circle of friends. Thus is set the story: a pretty woman with a high libido, two men, one condemned the other married, a city, a book, few friends, and the family.
In the midst of what could be seen as a chaotic life and thus novel, is the book Coco has set herself to write following the request of Tiantian. The drafting of the book will be the leading thread of the novel, the element that forces her to go from point A to a point B.
Wei Hui’s prose is sensual, up-beat, self absorbed, sprawling and decadent. Quotes from various figures, from Milan Kundera to Mother Teresa via Henry Miller "the spiritual father", punctuate her narrative. The tone of the book has an underlying tension, a little like Coco’s life. A lot of references, sensual and sexual, to tobacco, alcohol and drugs, are part of the set. But present also is the artistic side of creation and passion. In addition, the diverse relationships are dictated by love taking different shapes and roles: parents to child, man to woman and vice versa, woman to woman, man to man. Attached to this notion of love is a waltz of feelings: desire, need, lust, but also negligence, abandonment, torment, and despair. The overall result is a feeling of great confusion that emanate from the young generation.
A few days after having finished the book, I felt that the confusion present in the book turned into a feeling of great emptiness on the part of the novel overall and needless self-inflicted sufferings on the part of the characters. Concerning the emptiness of the novel: how could it be since there were so many references and quotes from different famous intellectuals, singers, etc to feed Coco’s thoughts? In that sense, the novel questions the purpose of the education of the narrator. She certainly attended one of the most prestigious Chinese universities, competed with thousands of other students to get there, and finally is part of a close circle of intellectuals… nevertheless, one can wonder to what end?
The notion of education is raised. What is called education and what is the goal of an education? In the case of Coco, her education is measured in terms of culture, liberated sex life and also, I think, in terms of self-perception as higher than other.
While the ultimate goal of education is outside the scope of this review, my mention of the issue is to show that finally the education of Coco is useless (at least at the moment). The first reason is that she doesn’t seem to find fulfillment and that she drifts in a self destructing way regardless of this education. The second reason is that she doesn’t turn her education toward the benefit of the society and others.
Finally the answer to her ill being is actually addressed by her father in the book. Himself an intellectual (he is a professor), he tells her:
“Don’t become complacent about your status as an author; first you’re a human being and a woman- and only third, an author”. This quote means that that she needs to come down from her pedestal as a writer to face life as a human being: a being of flesh that breathes, eats, and interacts with others first before being an intellectual.
Overall I think the novel is worth reading to discover another aspect of China and of Chinese youth culture: a cosmopolitan youth that has succeeded but that is nevertheless deprived of goals in a society that is in perpetual motion (here Shanghai). In a way this golden youth feels lost and overwhelmed by the reality of life and the materialism around them. In response to this feeling of loss, they escape by recreating an artificial underworld of sex, alcohol and drugs that is, at the end, not fulfilling because it turns out to be ephemeral and self-destructive. As a result, the book leaves a slight taste of sadness and frustration.
"The ferries, the waves, the night-dark grass, the dazzling neon lights, and incredible structures-all these signs of material prosperity are aphrodisiacs the city uses to intoxicate itself. They have nothing to do with us, the people who live among them. A car accident or a disease can kill us, but the city's prosperous, invincible silhouette is like a planet, in perpetual motion, eternal"
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Still Life; To Much Emphasis on Still
Jia Zhangke's Still Life focuses on the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and it's impact on the people of the Fengjie. It follows two non overlapping stories of outsiders to the area; Han Sanming, a coal miner searching for his ex-wife and daughter, and Shen Hong, a nurse looking for her husband. The film highlights the plight of the population displacement as a result of the dam's construction by having the protagonists go through a great deal of difficulty to track down the people they wish to find, due to being uprooted. The films also focuses on the human cost of building the dam, as along the way one of the workers Sanming befriends is killed. The camera also spends a great deal of time surveying the country side full of buildings ready to be demolished, further emphasizing the human displacement taking place.
The plot itself is rather sparse, even with having two plot lines. Most of what tension there is comes from the respective protagonists going from one place to the next trying to get in contact with the people they set out to find. The slow pacing of the plots, combined with the many panning shots of the bleak setting leads to a sense of melancholy. While this may allow for a better ability to relate to the characters, like Platform before it, this does not lead to an entertaining film. Also like Platform, this movie suffers from a similar lack of character development or drama, which makes it very difficult to care about the characters involved, or their problems. For that matter, the main characters don't seem to care much for their own problems; the climaxes of both plots are very anti-climactic, leaving one with a feeling of “So, what was the point of this again?” The plot's slow (almost glacial) pacing for the relative lack of drama does not make for an enjoyable viewing experience. The dialogue itself is also often hard to watch, as, especially in the climactic scenes, there are multiple several second long pauses between the speakers. While this would possibly look and sound natural if the speakers were emotionally overcome, or trying to find the right words to say, this is clearly not the case. The speakers merely stare at each other, facial expressions unchanging and completely emotionless, leading to a very awkward scene that is grating to watch. While one would expect such reunions to be awkward to an extent, the way Jia has set it up is simply to much. An alternate interpretation of these strange conversations is the fact that all parties involved have more on their minds, and the actual plot is really more of a tangential concern to them, in light of being uprooted by the dam's construction.
Where the film really shines is in its cinematography. While the sweeping camera shots, and focuses on buildings ready for demolition may help pad the relative lack of plot, they are by far the most interesting aspect of the film. The sweeping scenes of the desolate city and ruined buildings seem to speak more clearly to the consequences of human displacement than the characters themselves.
The point of the film, showing the consequences of constructing the dam, is most aptly displayed via the film's camera work; the plot itself feels more like an after thought tacked on to make the movie. This, combined with the poor pacing of the plot, lead to a very boring viewing experience, and as a result, I would not recommend this film to any but the most die hard of Chinese film followers, or those more interested in art films.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Micro Blog Mania
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-03/26/content_12230922.htm
Well, it looks like the Chinese have once again found a way to circumvent the Great Firewall, and this time its in the form of micro blogs. Only 20 months after their appearance on the Chinese web radar micro blogs (similar to Twitter) have become the “third-favorite online source of information, after news portals and online forums.”
Micro blogs are extremely accessible—blogging is as simple as sending a text message on a cell phone, but it becomes instantly available to the entirety of the Internet-using population.
However, convenience is not even the primary appeal of micro blogs! They are virtually impossible to filter, so they have become a forum for controversial discussion. Two popular topics have been “scandals concerning land acquisition and official corruption.”
Even the government it getting involved with micro blogging, but possibly for a different reason. A reported 73.3% of all official government blogs belong to public security agencies. In one case micro blogs were used to catch the murderers of a three-year-old girl—her parents.
There are approximately 125 million micro bloggers in China, and the number is growing but university professor Zhang thinks, “it is still too early to draw the conclusion that micro blogs are shouldering new social functions.”
We will see.
Watch Out For Those Chinese Golddiggers
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/world/asia/15bachelors.html?pagewanted=2&ref=asia
When I first read this article I have to say all I could do was laugh. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about China's new 'respect' program for girls. The Chinese government is trying to educate young girls about marriage and how they should stay away from sugar daddies. This article laments the fact that, because of the gender inbalance, Chinese women hold the all of the cards in terms of dating and marriage. And Chinese women are not looking for just any average Joe, they want the whole package. Well, at least the whole financial package; they want the money and instant status improvement without the hassle of work. Many women are unapologetic about their obvious intentions, much to the dismay of China's large bachelor population, who have parents nagging at them about their single status. Guess the Chinese should have thought twice beofre giving up their girls. Oh well.
When I first read this article I have to say all I could do was laugh. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about China's new 'respect' program for girls. The Chinese government is trying to educate young girls about marriage and how they should stay away from sugar daddies. This article laments the fact that, because of the gender inbalance, Chinese women hold the all of the cards in terms of dating and marriage. And Chinese women are not looking for just any average Joe, they want the whole package. Well, at least the whole financial package; they want the money and instant status improvement without the hassle of work. Many women are unapologetic about their obvious intentions, much to the dismay of China's large bachelor population, who have parents nagging at them about their single status. Guess the Chinese should have thought twice beofre giving up their girls. Oh well.
Watch Out For Those Chinese Golddiggers
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/world/asia/15bachelors.html?pagewanted=2&ref=asia
When I first read this article I have to say all I could do was laugh. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about China's new 'respect' program for girls. The Chinese government is trying to educate young girls about marriage and how they should stay away from sugar daddies. This article laments the fact that, because of the gender inbalance, Chinese women hold the all of the cards in terms of dating and marriage. And Chinese women are not looking for just any average Joe, they want the whole package. Well, at least the whole financial package; they want the money and instant status improvement without the hassle of work. Many women are unapologetic about their obvious intentions, much to the dismay of China's large bachelor population, who have parents nagging at them about their single status. Guess the Chinese should have thought twice beofre giving up their girls. Oh well.
When I first read this article I have to say all I could do was laugh. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about China's new 'respect' program for girls. The Chinese government is trying to educate young girls about marriage and how they should stay away from sugar daddies. This article laments the fact that, because of the gender inbalance, Chinese women hold the all of the cards in terms of dating and marriage. And Chinese women are not looking for just any average Joe, they want the whole package. Well, at least the whole financial package; they want the money and instant status improvement without the hassle of work. Many women are unapologetic about their obvious intentions, much to the dismay of China's large bachelor population, who have parents nagging at them about their single status. Guess the Chinese should have thought twice beofre giving up their girls. Oh well.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Chinese contemporary art
http://www.artscenechina.com/ This very cool website presents a diversity of contemporary Chinese photographs, paintors and sculptors. (all the images are the property of http://www.artscenechina.com/) the dramatic reds of Chen yu, whose paintings are described as poetry. purity, quietness, indifference. She uses a lot of ink paintings. Her work is very much based on Chinese tradition. "She was trying to use Chinese spiritual expression and Western color interpretation to present the contemporary spirit world." http://www.kelliu.com/ This is the work of the 
Chinese- American artist Hung Liu. Her website allows to see a lot of her art and zoom into it! Hung Liu lived for 36 years in China before coming to the USA. In her biography, she talks about growing up in communist China and how it influenced her. Propaganda was part of her life and she wanted to be a tough soldier as some of the heroes presented by propaganda movies. There is a lot more on the website artscene China. Some of the pieces are more disturbing than other and bring some questions, such as the work of Du Xinjian (to the right). http://www.duxinjian.com/statement.html
China in Suriname
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/world/americas/11suriname.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=china%20suriname&st=cse 
(map from http://mauksuriname.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html) Excuse-me, Where? Suriname, a small South-American nation who shares borders with Guyana, French Guyana and Brazil and has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean. This New York Time’s article focuses on the influence of China on this country. First of all, Suriname is a unique country in South America: the official language is Dutch. The country has a population of 500,000 people, for a land the size of Florida. As of today, the Chinese population makes close to 10% of the inhabitant of Suriname. The immigration started as far as the mid 19th century where Chinese workers were brought to work in plantations, but has tremendously increased nowadays. The result is more visible than in neighboring countries like Venezuela due to the smallness of the nation. The Chinese presence is not only seen through the demographic and politics, but also through its involvement at different levels of the society. Chinese industries help different projects, from military assistance, the upgrade of TV network, to the improvement of roads. In addition many shops have appeared in different Surinamese towns. The current president of Suriname has a shady background linked to drug and murder, but it does not concert the ambassador who considers the relationship between China and Suriname as a country helping another developing county. In addition the Chinese ambassador sees Suriname has having a lot of potential due to its small population versus land. As a result China is now the top provider of aids to Suriname.
(map from http://mauksuriname.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html) Excuse-me, Where? Suriname, a small South-American nation who shares borders with Guyana, French Guyana and Brazil and has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean. This New York Time’s article focuses on the influence of China on this country. First of all, Suriname is a unique country in South America: the official language is Dutch. The country has a population of 500,000 people, for a land the size of Florida. As of today, the Chinese population makes close to 10% of the inhabitant of Suriname. The immigration started as far as the mid 19th century where Chinese workers were brought to work in plantations, but has tremendously increased nowadays. The result is more visible than in neighboring countries like Venezuela due to the smallness of the nation. The Chinese presence is not only seen through the demographic and politics, but also through its involvement at different levels of the society. Chinese industries help different projects, from military assistance, the upgrade of TV network, to the improvement of roads. In addition many shops have appeared in different Surinamese towns. The current president of Suriname has a shady background linked to drug and murder, but it does not concert the ambassador who considers the relationship between China and Suriname as a country helping another developing county. In addition the Chinese ambassador sees Suriname has having a lot of potential due to its small population versus land. As a result China is now the top provider of aids to Suriname.
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