The Blue Kite

Rating:
Summary: Ones Need to Express Oneself...
Review: An important fact is that Zhuangzhuang Tian was barred from making films in China after Blue Kite was released in the United States. This film was also banned in China after he had received the 1993 Tokyo Grand Prix in the Tokyo International Film Festival. Blue Kite is a powerful film that displays Tietou's upbringing in Beijing during the beginning of the Communist era when large numbers of people were arrested for different thinking. The film begins with the birth of Tietou, which is a result of his mothers agony after the death of Stalin. Tietou's name, Iron Head, is also a tribute to the day Stalin died. Tietou's family seems happy, however, underneath the audience can feel an undercurrent of worry where people are afraid of expressing their ideas and values. The reason is that there are frequent messages announced over loud speakers around the neighborhood about ill-fated individuals who have been arrested by the Communist Party for having notions that are against the belief of the party. During this time, the infant Tietou is growing up and plays on his street with the neighborhood kids. One day, his kite is flies into a tall tree and gets stuck. His father, Lin Shaolong, tells Tietou with a strong expression of love and care, "I can make you another one." This is very unusual, since it seems like the social environment in which they live inhibits most people from expressing themselves in any way due to fear of the Communist Party. Unfortunately, a friend of the family gives Lin Shaolong's name to the Communist Party and he is sent to a reform camp. In the camp he is accidentally killed, which leaves Tietou and his mother, Chen Shujuan, alone. However, Tietou is too young to understand the complexity of death and tells his mother to get another "Happy Old Uncle". His mother does so, but it is the same man who gave her husband's name to the Communist Party. The story repeats itself again as Tietou grows into a teenager. The audience is delivered a strong message through this daring film that stopped Zhuangzhuang Tian's ability to continue expressing his own notions and feelings on the screen in China. At the end, an overwhelming flood of sympathy flushes over the viewers through this brilliant cinematic experience.

Rating:
Summary: Ones Need to Express Oneself...
Review: An important fact is that Zhuangzhuang Tian was barred from making films in China after Blue Kite was released in the United States. This film was also banned in China after he had received the 1993 Tokyo Grand Prix in the Tokyo International Film Festival. Blue Kite is a powerful film that displays Tietou's upbringing in Beijing during the beginning of the Communist era when large numbers of people were arrested for different thinking. The film begins with the birth of Tietou, which is a result of his mothers agony after the death of Stalin. Tietou's name, Iron Head, is also a tribute to the day Stalin died. Tietou's family seems happy, however, underneath the audience can feel an undercurrent of worry where people are afraid of expressing their ideas and values. The reason is that there are frequent messages announced over loud speakers around the neighborhood about ill-fated individuals who have been arrested by the Communist Party for having notions that are against the belief of the party. During this time, the infant Tietou is growing up and plays on his street with the neighborhood kids. One day, his kite is flies into a tall tree and gets stuck. His father, Lin Shaolong, tells Tietou with a strong expression of love and care, "I can make you another one." This is very unusual, since it seems like the social environment in which they live inhibits most people from expressing themselves in any way due to fear of the Communist Party. Unfortunately, a friend of the family gives Lin Shaolong's name to the Communist Party and he is sent to a reform camp. In the camp he is accidentally killed, which leaves Tietou and his mother, Chen Shujuan, alone. However, Tietou is too young to understand the complexity of death and tells his mother to get another "Happy Old Uncle". His mother does so, but it is the same man who gave her husband's name to the Communist Party. The story repeats itself again as Tietou grows into a teenager. The audience is delivered a strong message through this daring film that stopped Zhuangzhuang Tian's ability to continue expressing his own notions and feelings on the screen in China. At the end, an overwhelming flood of sympathy flushes over the viewers through this brilliant cinematic experience.

Rating:
Summary: A great Example of the new wave of Chinese film making
Review: Blue Kite is truly a great example of the new chinese cinema that gathered the attention from all over the world. First of all it is very realistic, very honest and very touching. Director manages to melt this 3 different emotion so well with the great acting and a well written story. Story starts with a baby's birth in early Mao era china and slowly continues its journey in China's political history of 50's and 60's. In this movie we witness a family's struggle to keep up with the times against all political unstabilities of those days. A mother's struggle to grow her child after loosing 2 husbands and other misfortunes that fell on her and her family is extrmely well portrayed and acting is well executed by the actors. Camera captures verything as real and sometimes like a historical documentary that is set in a family's circle. Overall Blue Kite is a brilliant film and a good referance point of the new Chinese cinema. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent example of how fear rules in a dictatorship
Review: Fear rules when the party can denounce anyone at anytime for voicing opinions or even thinking that what the government does isn't right. A great coming of age movie with strong political overtones. The acting is excellent and you really feel for the young protagonist. This is a must see for all chinese film fans. I really enjoyed the subtle way that the viewer is pulled into the film. At each turn we almost want to shout to the actors "Don't speak up or they'll haul you away to the camps!" This really says how the film puts you in the position of "what would I do if I didn't live in a free society." A very real look at how a repressive government can destroy lives and prevent creativity and economic prosperity. A good companion to this film is the Russian production of "The Thief", also an enjoyable coming of age flick. I wonder how the reviewer from Moscow didn't get it. May be this will help. Freedom includes the right to say whatever you want about a government and try to make changes within the system without fear of reprisals. (Especially being sent to internment camps or being beaten to death.) Does that simplify it for you.

Rating:
Summary: A glimpse of life under Mao
Review: For me, this movie did not go far enough to show the great suffering under Mao's leadership, but that might be understandable if there was any hope that the Chinese government would not ban it. Also, this film might not make much sense without some prior knowledge of The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Otherwise, the acting is good and the story is poignant enough at times.

Rating:
Summary: i didn't get it.
Review: i didn't get it

Rating:
Summary: I DISAGREE
Review: I strongly disagree with James J. J. Janis' review on The Blue Kyte. An effective film doesn't mean that it is a two hour movie that covers everything about the subject, but a two hour movie that opens your minds up to the subject. It'd leave you thinking and wondering. It'd make you want to find out more, asking why and how. Personally, I was very moved by the movie. I too came to the movie with some background knowledge of the topic, but I did not watch the movie thinking that I learned nothing from it. Even though it somewhat echoed a book that I recently read, Son of the Revolution, I still feel like I left the film understanding more and wanting to find out even more. However, I have to acknowledge the I do believe that people who can understand Mandarin would appreaciate the movie a bit more than those that don't. Because the subtitles sometimes skips or mistranslates some important phrases. Yes, he might be right that there are scenes that can be cut out to make the film at a reasonable length, but for what? To match Holleywood filmmaking standards? How can you cut any realistic scenes from a movie that is to tell the story. What and who is to determine that only certain details of the peasants' life tell the Chinese communist story and others are just simply unrelavent? Overall, I give this movie a 5 star rating. Because I cannot find another movie that shows more truth about the China under Mao's influence in the late 50's and 60's more than this one particular film.

Rating:
Summary: Most people would never even understand this film
Review: It will be very difficult for people living in North America to understand this film, as they could never imagine the horror of the cultural revolution. For those looking forward to buy this film, I would tell them that this film, like many modern chinese dramas, differs significantly from your average Hollywood films: the message conveyed in this film is very complex and most of theses messages are communicated indirectly through symbolism and other subtle ways.

Rating:
Summary: Heroic but flawed film
Review: Obviously for a chinese to make this film is courageous. Unfortunatly, it could have been much better. The viewer really has to know alot of recent Chinese history going into the film for THE BLUE KITE explains nothing. A good historical film should be a stand alone production and not act as a footnote to it's viewer's knowledge. There are great many people out there who do not know the history of Communism in this century either through their own laziness or because the liberal media have continuely covered up. This film will not be very acessible to those viewers--the same viewers presumably the film is trying to reach. Also the film is way too long. Any film that chronicles unrelenting suffering with little release should be less than two hours as the overall effect becomes numbing not emotional or educational. And this is easily rectified. Even while watching the film for the first time, I spotted scenes that could have cut with any lose to the film what so ever--almost all of the scenes of the little boy at school for example. Finally the film doesn't end so much as stop. Very ineffective. So, while a brave film, an important film, THE BLUE KITE is not an entirly effective film. Pity.

Rating:
Summary: Heroic but flawed film
Review: Obviously for a chinese to make this film is courageous. Unfortunatly, it could have been much better. The viewer really has to know alot of recent Chinese history going into the film for THE BLUE KITE explains nothing. A good historical film should be a stand alone production and not act as a footnote to it's viewer's knowledge. There are great many people out there who do not know the history of Communism in this century either through their own laziness or because the liberal media have continuely covered up. This film will not be very acessible to those viewers--the same viewers presumably the film is trying to reach. Also the film is way too long. Any film that chronicles unrelenting suffering with little release should be less than two hours as the overall effect becomes numbing not emotional or educational. And this is easily rectified. Even while watching the film for the first time, I spotted scenes that could have cut with any lose to the film what so ever--almost all of the scenes of the little boy at school for example. Finally the film doesn't end so much as stop. Very ineffective. So, while a brave film, an important film, THE BLUE KITE is not an entirly effective film. Pity.