Quickie Review: Based on a true story, a revolution takes place in China at the beginning of the 20th Century to try and oust the ruthless Qing Dynasty which has ruled unquestioned for 250 years.
I was not in a position to truly appreciate this movie's historical significance, neither was the audience. Produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chinese People's Revolution, it is presented in Mandarin with English subtitles for one reason: Its intended target audiences are the Mainland Chinese people and those of Chinese origin.
Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie: This movie lacks a strong central focus, with Flashback and Introductory scenes occurring every two minutes or so. And three symbolic Dissolve/Fade devices used ( A general tapping the shaved crown of his head, a child's toy, and the carved "walnuts" ) were vague and, at best, unnecessary and only served to detract from a scene's intended message. This Historical War Movie would have been less complicated had it been presented in linear fashion. And the ambitious formality of its English subtitles had the unintended effect of occasionally producing stilted prose, eliciting a chuckle from an audience member ( not I ).
A typewriter shown in one scene appeared to be of a later model. It didn't look like a typical model for that time period.
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As Mainland China celebrates/commemorates its Revolution's 100th Anniversary, another revolution is quietly and peacefully taking place: Over one hundred million, and counting, Chinese have formally renounced their ties with the Chinese Communist Party, according to The Epoch Times, setting the stage for Democracy. And, some speculate, a gradual transition to Christianity.
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