The Blue Kite (1994)

I recalled the title of this Chinese appearing in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it had good critics reviews, and it did well at film festivals, so it was hoping for something good, directed by Zhuangzhuang Tian (The Horse Thief). Basically story is told from the perspective of a young boy, Tietou (Tian Yi) (his name literally means "iron head") growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Beijing. Chen Shujuan (Liping Lü) and Lin Shaolong (Cunxin Pu) married in 1953 on Dry Well Lane, their son Tietou was born a year later. During the Hundred Flowers Campaign, Shaolong creates a blue kite for his son (Wenyao Zhang), a symbol that will remain throughout as a sign of better days, he dies in a reform camp. During the Great Leap Forward, close family friend Uncle Li Guodong (Xuejian Li), who protects Shujuan and her son partly out of guilt for lying to authorities about Shaolong, succumbs to malnutrition. During the Cultural Revolution, teenage Tietou (Xiaoman Chen) moves in with Lao Wu, his Stepfather (Guo Baochang), Tietou's mother being dragged away by Red Guards, and the stepfather dies from heart failure, the fate of Tietou is left unknown. Also starring Ping Zong as Chen Shusheng, Xiaoying Song as Sis, Yanjin Liu as Shujuan's mother and Bin Li as Granny. The story is essentially how careers, romances, friendships and rivalries are affected by momentous political and historical events, based on the memories of the director, only the blue kite flying seem to be the happy moments, this film was banned by the Chinese authorities, the betrayals and brutalities are convincing, I remember some family argument scenes, it was a little slow at times, but it is an interesting drama. Worth watching!

If this movie is banned in China and considered daring imagine what one told by an unsympathetic non communist would be like. For the fact is that all the characters in this film appear to be more or less kowtowing to the communists or aspiring party members themselves. One of the harshest things you hear is an old woman who wonders if there has been enough revolution. In fact it has the feel of a communist propaganda movie with eager smiling people who never complain. Various sources estimate that between 15 to 40 million people starved during the great leap forward...you would not get that impression from this film. I want to see what the real truth and tragedy were like. This is just a pale start.

and consequently, this movie was banned in its homeland. The director has always being the master of contemporary critic, and from his cautious beginning of subtle approach of masking the problems under similar circumstance in earlier history, finally matured into directly confronting the problem. Unfortunately, such bold approach is not tolerated by the regime and the film met its sad fate which is inevitable.

This movie is great. It ends a bit abruptly but it is still a great movie. It sums up the way of life in China up until that part in a very poignant touching way without overdramatizing. I give it a ten. The sad part is that it was banned in china, only for telling the truth.