Over-rated Propaganda

Rating: 3/10 (19 October 2004)

CCP-inspired neo-orientalism. What can I say? Obviously a lot of people love this film, so this is a dissenting opinion. I had no preconceptions before I saw it but I was tremendously disappointed, and I don't want to waste too much breath on this mediocre work. The plot is silly, the characters predictable. Yes, the cinematography is gorgeous, but that alone is not enough, and only raises it from a zero to a three(out of ten) on my scale. The message -- China must be united whatever the personal cost to those on the Chinese periphery (look out Taiwan! bye-bye Hong Kong!) is tired and worn-out and, well, do we really want a message in such a film? Clearly Zhang Yimou is working hard to ingratiate himself to the Party censors, but that doesn't mean his audience needs to fawn over such sycophancy, as I fear so many in outside of China have. I think we can expect more from lavishly produced works such as this.