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| Movie Review: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Alternate Title: Reading is Fundamental
Story: China's cultural revolution
of the 1970's displaced and split up millions of families in order to
re-educate the free thinkers, professionals and anyone who disagreed
with the policies of Chairman Mao and the Party. Director Dai Siljie based the
film on his best selling novel which was semi-autobiographical.Both
the film and the novel have been banned in China, yet surprisingly,
they allowed him to film there. Go figure? It is a slow, yet beautifully filmed movie about
two intellectual boys who have been relocated from the City and their
decadent parents in order to be re-educated in the mountains of rural
China. They become miners, dung carriers and general laborers. What happens to them, who they meet, how they
influence the rural, ignorant peasants and grow is the core of the film.
The little seamstress plays a major role both as love interest and proof
that knowledge sets you free. If you read the book I encourage you to see the
film. The landscape is breathtaking. Sadly, this is the area of China
that has since been flooded to create huge dams for their ever-growing
population. Acting: Fine acting all around.
Predilection: I bought the book several years ago
because I liked the cover art. It turned out that I loved the book too. Critters: Livestock
Visual Art: The landscape is just like those wonderful
narrative paintings that you can see in any Asian wing in a museum. Theater Audience: I saw this over a month ago, and
do not remember this detail.
Oscar Worthy: No
Nit Picking: It needed some editing and the ending
came too fast and furious.
Big Screen or Rental: Go for the big screen for the
beauty of China.
Length: Two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 7
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