Saturday, April 9, 2016

863. Lán fēngzheng

Lan Fengzheng
The Blue Kite
1993
Directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang








We really have not had the most cheerful films lately.  First The Piano, now this.  Soon I will be reviewing Schindler's List.  If anyone needs me, I'll be on the roof.

The film is told through the perspective of Tietou, a young boy whose life is very negatively impacted by the political movements in China during the 50s and 60s.  Basically, things get worse.  It actually reminded me of Satyajit Ray's films, where the director relentlessly heaps tragedies on a family.  Presumably, the blue kite represents our lost hopes and dreams.  Right?

So the historical context of the film interested me, but the actual movie did not.  I think I used the exact same line in my Puppetmaster review.  I feel like if wreak havoc on your characters, without ever actually humanizing them, the audience can get a bit numb to the story.  I am sure that the people who enjoyed this film felt some connection to the characters on screen, but I am afraid I didn't.

Definitely a movie I would have happily skipped.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Banned in China.

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