BEATE SIROTA GORDON WHO DRAFTED WOMEN’S RIGHTS SECTION OF JAPANESE CONSTITUTION TO DISCUSS LITTLE-KNOWN STORY AT JANM
Rare L.A. Speaking Engagement for 86-Year-Old Set for Tateuchi Democracy Forum May 16
LOS ANGELES.— The only woman to play a role in the writing of the Japanese Constitution, Beate Sirota Gordon, will speak about her memories in advocating for equal rights for Japanese women, on Sunday, May 16 at the Japanese American National Museum’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum in her first speaking engagement in Southern California. This program is organized in partnership between the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation and the National Museum and co-sponsored by the Kasloff Foundation/U.S. Japan Cultural Education, American Airlines and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. It is supported by the Miyako Hotel, Los Angeles, and Japan Foundation.
Mrs. Gordon, daughter of internationally renowned Ukranian pianist Leo Sirota, was raised in Japan while her father worked at the Imperial Academy of Music. She moved to America in 1939 to attend Mills College, and when the war began, her parents were still in Japan. Mrs. Gordon would not see them again until the post-war. To get back to Japan to see her parents, she joined the U.S. government as someone who spoke Japanese and understood the culture.
Beate was assigned in 1946 at the age of 22 to work for the political affairs staff for General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was intent on turning Japan into a democracy and he told 25 of his staff, including Beate, to draft Japan’s new constitution. In fact, Beate was the only woman in this group. Assigned to the civil rights subcommittee, she was given the responsibility to write the articles related to women’s rights. Knowing Japan’s long patriarchal history, she “finally decided that I must give rights that were very detailed and explicit so that they could not be misinterpreted.”
Among the landmark pieces Beate wrote was part of Article 14: “All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.” At the time, and for five decades afterwards, few people knew who drafted Japan’s constitution, including Beate’s historic role involving women’s rights.
Mrs. Gordon did not speak publicly of her contributions for nearly 50 years. As she will explain in her lecture set for 2 p.m., she began discussing her story only beginning in 1995 and has been asked to speak numerous times at colleges and universities and other venues throughout Japan as well as in the United States. Author of “The Only Woman in the Room”, Mrs. Gordon has been interviewed on NPR radio, “Nightline” with Ted Koppel and other media outlets.
She married Joseph Gordon, who she had meet in Japan during the Occupation, and moved to New York in 1947 to study ballet, modern dance, ethnic and folk dance, piano and drama. Mrs. Gordon spent her life working in support of the performing arts as well as the Japan Society of New York and the Asia Society. Since the story of her advocacy of women’s rights became public in Japan, Mrs. Gordon has become an iconic figure. A Beate Appreciation Society was formed and her story has been told in documentaries, stage productions and Japanese manga.
At 11 a.m., in support of Mrs. Gordon’s lecture, the film screening of “Sirota Family & the 20th Century” an award winning documentary film by Tomoko Fujiwara, will be shown. This film will feature Mrs. Gordon, and her family as they struggled to survive their travels from country to country as a Jewish family during World War II. There will be a light reception following the lecture.
Due to limited seating, ticket reservations and payments will be required in advance. The presentation will be $27 for National Museum members and $30 for non-members. Please send reservation forms, available online at www.janm.org, and payments to the Japanese American National Museum.
The Tateuchi Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum is located on 100 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information, call 213.625.0414, ext. 2249, or go to www.janm.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chris Komai 213.830.5648 ckomai@janm.org
I viewed "The Blue Kite" a Chinese film that has been banned in China. It is about the rise of Mao and Communism in China in the 1950's. It was a pretty long film, but really showed how everyday people in China were effected by Communism.
The parts of the film that I would use from this film in my classroom are the parts about rationing food and sharing with the community.
I would first show them the scene from the communal table and how wasteful some of them were being when they were eating together and then I would show them the scene from when the grandmother is cooking dumplings and the neighbors come and take them away saying that she has been hording and stealing food that should be shared with the entire community. There is another scene where the mother leaves to work as a farmer for several months even though she is a teacher. They want everyone to help "feed the nation and do their part". I think those scenes would help them understand Communism and the idea of "community" property.
Another scene that I would like to share with them, but it is probably a little too edgy for a classroom is when the students rise up and beat and stone the principal of their school because she is seen as a "rightest" or "anti Communist". I would then lead that into a discussion about how the government encouraged those attacks and their reasons.
I wish the film had talked more about the reform camps so I could give students an idea about how people were treated in the camps. They could compare and contrast them to the Nazi Concentration Camps and the Japanese Internment Camps in the U.S.
101 minutes. No MPAA rating (I would estimate a PG to PG 13 only because of the hermaphrodite/female impersonator opera singer---but seriously---NOTHING compared to typical Hollywood PG-13 movies nowadays with their stupid, mindless, and gratuitous cussing and sexual situations).
Directed by Wu Tianming
Bian Lian Wang: Zhu Xu (plays the "King") won lots of awards for his acting Doggie: Zhou Ren-ying (the kid) should of won lots of awards for acting! Tien Che: Zhang Riuyang Liang Sao Lang: Zhao Zhigang (the opera singer-also an opera singer in real life)
I found this movie captivating and surprising. Surprising first because the production values were so high. I usually watch older, lower budget Asian films, so I wasn't expecting the early celebration scenes of 1930's China, what with fireworks and giant dragon puppets- Awesome. NOT DISNEY. Immediately, one wishes to have lived there, in that time, or to visit now, and be among the quality, beauty, and harmony of buildings and maze-like city somewhere in rural-ish ? China. The story was interesting, regarding an older, somewhat impoverished (but not in art and spirit) street artist (the King of Masks), who wants an heir to pass his art on to. The heir must be male and this leads to some complications and some questioning of traditional gender values. One of the most successful performers is a hermaphrodite, who is portrayed as someone who has managed to find a respected niche wile maintaining the highest values of compassion, respect, and loyal community. The fortunes of the King of Masks rise and fall. We learn about life in that era and the vagaries of the justice system (eerily parallel to how ours works at times). Issues of filial piety (traditional values worth keeping!) and community beg the question of just what constitutes "family," anyway. All of these questions/issues are dealt with rather subtley, it does not feel like an in-your-face- political statement- just like real life.
OK, can I just say- the acting was A-1 A-MAZING! From the King of Masks to the kid, to all the supporting cast- fantastic!
I think it is a valuable movie to show the advanced culture of China at that time- not just the architecture, and the art forms, but the (somewhat) changing, traditional values of the time. I think that my students would really relate to the street urchin who must get by on street smarts and heart, and who really ends up a hero
Great movie.
from Wikipedia:
"The film won a number of awards at various film festivals around the world. It had a limited American theatrical release in 1999 and earned about $1,000,000Text
From ROGER EBERT:
"The King of Masks" was directed by Wu Tianming, who as a studio head in the 1980s helped bring the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers to prominence. After the Tiananmen Square revolt, he moved to the United States and returned in 1995. This is his first film after his homecoming, and although it has no overt political message, perhaps it is no accident that its hero is a stubborn artist who clings to his secrets.
The movie I saw was called "Not One Less." It is a chinese film about chinese education in the early 1990's. It is a touching film about a 13 year old girl who is a substitute teacher at a rural school. She is told not to lose any students and searches after one student who decides to go to the city for work. I teach middle school math and could not really tie this movie into my Algebra curiculum, but has an important lesson for middle school students. It teaches the importance of relationships, education, commitment, poverty, and life. I think that most of my students would benefit from seeing how others live that are outside of the US. It would be a very valuable lesson. However, my only fear due to the some what slow pace of the movie, it would not be able to captivate them enough to watch until the end without losing interest. It doesn't have enough action and might be too long for some of them to get through the subtitles. Although the ones who are able to, will be glad they did.
Most Honorable Son (PBS) Directed and written by Bill Kubota Co-produced by Ed Moore and Joel Geyel
This is a fascinating film about Ben Kuroki a Japanese American born in Nebraska. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the war broke-out, he hated being Japanese and felt guilty about what they did. He volunteered repeatedly before he was accepted into the airforce. Initially, he was stuck on the ground peeling potatoes for over 20 days straight until he finally found himself with a squadron after making enough noise. Ben was sent to Europe to fight against the Germans. After completing 25 missions, he returned to the United States. He then requested to pilot the B-29, an aircraft being used to bomb Japan. In one night, 80,000 people were killed by the fire bomb attacks of the B-29s. I understand that Ben Kuroki saw himself as a true American but my understanding falls short as to why he would annihilate his own people. His self hatred must have propelled him to destroy any image that looked like the reflection in his own mirror. The assignments that I have created around this story will deal with creative writing and persuasion.Students will beome a character living in 1940s. They must be japanese and tell me where they live (country); who they are; what life entails during this time as this character. The next assignment will be a debate on war. Students will be placed in groups to debate topics such, are there any merits to war? and, would you be able to bomb your own ethnicity if you were a citizen of another country? The culminating assignment will involve a gallery walk on the bombing of Pearl harbor from the aspect of Americans and the Japanese.
"The Sinking of Japan" movie is a very good way to show the effects of plate tectonics. It has great video of tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes and shows what the after-effects they have on people, buildings, and the landscape.[Edit by="eschlum on Jun 7, 10:46:59 PM"][/Edit]
The King of Masks can be ordered from Netflix on dvd or streamed to your computer or internet-connected television. This is true of some other Chinese films as well.
Now in its 16th year, the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival invites you to explore the more than 200 feature films, documentaries, shorts and music videos that will screen in downtown Los Angeles from June 17-27.
1428 (China, Hong Kong) Dir. Du Haibin Filmmaker Du Haibin artfully hones in on the aftermath of the great Sichuan earthquake of 2008, capturing the intimate reactions of the survivors and the government's response, both ten days after the tragedy and seven months later. Winner of the documentary award at the Venice Film Festival.
Combining classical European literature with leftist politics and sly homages to the past decade of Korean cinema, this sprawling, playful examination of unrequited love is the directorial debut of film critic turned audacious auteur Jung Sung-il.
A comic thriller. Certainly the year’s most heartwarming film about political assassination, serial killers, conspiracy theories, and the Beatles, this non-stop Japanese pop-thriller offers up laughs, tears, and more than a few explosions.
This devastating Chinese drama traces the intertwined lives of a grieving judge, a car thief he's sentenced to death, and a rich man who desperately needs a kidney transplant.
Documentary: Two Korean-Danish comedians and their trickster director infiltrate North Korea to expose its horrors in a documentary way stranger than fiction.
Woman on Fire Looks for Water (Malaysia, South Korea)
Dir. Woo Ming-jin
With a keen eye for the meditative rhythms of life in a small village, this lyrical film follows a father and son as they each yearn for a love that may never come.
Climate Refugees (Bangladesh, Chad, China, Kenya, Tuvalu, USA)
“Climate Refugees” is a term few people outside the U.S. military and U.N. circles were familiar with outside the US military and UN circles…until now. As alarming as it is prescient, Michael Nash’s illuminating documentary examines the facts behind the phrase and exposes what is being called the biggest challenge facing mankind.
Jonathan Gold, the Los Angeles-based Pulitzer-prize winning food critic, is well-known for his love of Asian cuisine. He will speak at a screening on 6/19 (4 pm) at the Downtown Independent. The film to be screened is Udon.
Udon (Japan) Dir. Motohiro Katsuyuki UDON is a high-spirited comic ode to the power of Japan’s ubiquitous noodle. After failing to make it as a stand-up comedian, a young man drags himself home to Kagawa Prefecture, where his father owns a small udon factory. When an article he writes for a local magazine sets off a nationwide udon craze, he learns there’s more to the simple noodle, and the people who make them, than he ever expected.
Documentary. A sharp, subtle critique on the nature of tourism and photography, the enigmatic documentary Camera, Camera follows a handful of diverse Westerners traveling through Laos, paying special attention to the snapshots they take along the way.
The stylish Parade could easily be mistaken, at first glance, for a Japanese sitcom, as it gathers four twenty-somethings together in a small Tokyo apartment….
I teach 7th and 8th grade social studies, but I am also the advisor for the “film club” (basically the students who come watch movies in my room every day at lunch). When I was in the school library picking out movies for the club, one of the members saw “My Neighbor Totoro” and since I remembered it from China class, I picked it for the week. I actually remember watching this movie when I was younger so I was interested in seeing if there was any difference between the early 1990’s dubbed version and the Disney dubbed version.
I would actually use this in my class as a bridge to making the unknown more familiar. “Japan” may seem too far away, too out of my students’ spheres of influence so they might not care about leaning about it. But using something safe (like a cartoon that just happens to be from Japan and about Japan) is a way to make a connection for them. I would previously view the movie and find 10 or so things that were distinctly Japanese and something that my students might not be familiar with (some examples: not wearing shoes in the house, growing rice, writing in Japanese etc). Then as they were watching they would list all the things they saw that they thought were distinctly Japanese. Afterwards we would have a discussion about them. It is also helpful to refer to the movie when I am teaching about other parts of Japanese history/culture. “Remember how mountainous the land in My Neighbor Totoro was? Well Japan is 80% mountainous and 20% flat land...” I reference a lot of Disney movies/cartoons in my teaching because that is what most of my students are familiar with.
I also would just use this movie as a free day or rainy day movie. Instead of showing some movie that they are all familiar with already, this would be a way to have them experience a little bit of another culture. This may led them into wanting to know more about Japan or some aspect of Japanese life. Like I said, to me this movie is a bridge. Forcing my students to watch a movie that may help teach the history of Japan better would backfire because they wouldn’t pay attention. This movie might get them interested enough that they want to learn more (and then would hopefully stay more focused during my lesson!).
Treeless Mountain Directed and written by So Yong Kim
Treeless Mountain takes place in Seoul, Korea. It tells the story of two young girls, ages 4 and 6, whose mother abandons them to find her estranged husband. The mothers leaves them with their alcoholic aunt who doesn’t really look after the girls but has the girls fending for themselves. The mom leaves them with a piggy bank and the girls get the notion that their mom will return once the bank is filled. The girls end up selling roasted grasshopper for money and once it is filled, their mom doesn’t return. The mom doesn’t return, she sends a letter to the aunt and the girls are taken to their grandparents who reluctantly keep them. It is very heart breaking to see the sadness on the girls face. The end.
This movie could be used in the classroom so that students could compare rural and urban Seoul. The movie could also be used to show the inner working of a Korean family. Treeless Mountain is neither a historical nor political film. It would be used purely for entertainment purposes and to show family interactions. I would use it in a social studies class.
In my quest to find good history based movies I found Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre on Netflix. As teachers we need access to easy to reach items, I’m so thankful for Netflix. The following is the description based from Netflix Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre (Hei tai yang Nan Jing da tu sha / Men Behind the Sun 4) 1995NR90 minutes The invading Japanese army's "rape of Nanking" in 1937 China gained global infamy for its horrific brutality as more than 100,000 civilians and fugitive soldiers were indiscriminately killed. This powerful docudrama conveys that ordeal via two brothers who get separated during the upheaval after witnessing their parents' execution. The film is unflinching in its shocking exposé of the occupying forces' atrocities against the vanquished Chinese. Cast: Liang Zhang, Yung Pan, Shao-tien Hsiung, Wen-ting Chiang, Wen-tu Pan, Hua Shao Director: Tun Fei Mou Genres: Foreign, Foreign Dramas, China, Cantonese Language Language: Cantonese This movie is: Violent
My Film Review First this movie is violent, gross and gory, but generally a good movie. I would maybe show part of the film only to 11th and 12th graders. I would make sure to select certain scenes such as: images of the important military officers, massive execution pits, and Nanking burning down. The images are very powerful and can help students visualize and connect military figures to the historical events. The other scenes I would include are the original pictures and film that is incorporated into the movie. The director makes a powerful statement by reminding the audience through the use of the actual images that the massacre of Nanking did occur. Another great aspect about movie is the family that experiences all the horrible incidents of violence. First, I believe Japanese soldiers murder the husband-in-law in front of the children, wife, older brother and grandmother. The other brother is able to escape and hide the younger kids in the rubbles of the burning town. The same older brother is captured and taken to a massive holding room. Slowly small groups of Chinese men are separated and marched to the shooting pits. The question of fighting back arises between those who remain in the holding room, but uncertainty and hope keeps them from taking any action. The older brother asks if he could receive permission to use the restroom, which is granted by the Japanese soldiers. On his way to the restroom, he discovers the shooting pits and ends up being selected to server one of the Japanese generals. As the destruction of Nanking continues the film shows how Chinese women are raped, men are forced to work, how women, children and the elderly are killed and how the city is ransacked and burned down. Also present in the movie is the struggle by foreigners who try to secure and maintain a safe refugee camp. The Japanese soldiers constantly ignore requests by the German man, American man and woman who try to provide safety to the Chinese. The climax to the story occurs as the two the older brother finds the younger children and return to their home only to discover that the grandmother is the only survivor and is preparing the dead relatives’ bodies to be burned. As the families cry, two Japanese soldiers overhear and begin to attack the family, try to rape the little sister in the struggle the older brother is killed and the grandmother yells and hits the grandson to escape, to the point that she kicks him out the house and closes the doors. The grandmother realizes that the only way she can stop all the suffering and attack the Japanese soldier is by burning her house, granddaughter being raped and herself. The grandmother by taking one last stance—she burns down her home which represents five generations of Chinese culture, the family honor and hopefully the survival of one family member (the little brother that was kicked out from the home). Throughout the movie historical reference are made such as: the comfort women, Japanese as the powerhouse to “protect” Asia from the British and Americans, opium as means of funding the war, reference to the Samurai and sword, WWII, Hitler, and Jewish concentration camps. Although the movie might be “bloody” the audience does learn and understand the horrors of the Nanking massacre. One imagine that will stay with me is how the Monks were one by one executed—no regard to the goodness, religion, culture and history they represent.
I watched part of Golden Slumber on a flight from Taipei to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the flight was too short to complete the filem. But it had me laughing and in suspense for what was to happen next.
I have added it to my Netflix queue.
Love films about the everyman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I viewed the film, TO LIVE, which followed a Chinese family during a 40 year period of history beginning with the Nationalist and Communist struggle for control of China and concluding with the aftermath of the Mao-inspired Cultural Revolution. I enjoyed the film and was taken in by characters created by author Yu Hua. The suffering experienced by Fugui and his wife was emotionally draining. Having "to bear" the loss of their home, their stature in the community and their children were difficult hurdles to overcome. I was particularly moved by the scene where their daughter died from complications due to childbirth. The inexperienced student doctors were poor substitutes for the seasoned doctors who had been purged during the Cultural Revolution. I feel this film would be useful in the classroom. It's duration, roughly two and a half hours, might make it difficult to show during these times of state testing and pacing schedules. TO LIVE does give insight into periods such as Nationalist-Communist struggle for control of China, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The students could note the impacts of these events on the Chinese people and get a better understanding of the changes China was going through. The film could provide a starting point for a creative writing assignment where the students continue the story of the surviving characters by writing accounts of their lives in the years after the Cultural Revolution. For example, how the economic reforms of Deng Xiaopeng would have effected the life of "Little Bun." I would recommend this film. Rob
I happened upon this documentary and its attendant curriculum at a Spice professional development and could not be happier. It can easily be used in world and US history classes, depending on how much time you have to cover the Pacific theater. I have used this in world, after covering the first few years of the war in the Pacific, and after island hopping. My students already had done a map activity about Japanese expansion in the Pacific, Pearl Harbor, and read short excerpts about the Baatan March, and from the Flyboys. I also stop the video at a certain point and show clips from the Fog of War about the fire bombing of Tokyo.
Wings of Defeat is told from the perspective of a Japanese-American woman who, in the not too distant past, found out that one of her uncles was trained as a tokkotai pilot. Her goal was to return to Japan to uncover the history of the kamikaze pilots to figure out why her uncle would have joined such a corps of pilots. Moreover, she wanted to know why she only learned about her uncle’s WWII past only recently- why did surviving kamikaze fighters—those that did not actually engage in battle—not want to tell their family members even today that they were a part of the tokkotai?
Along the way, she meets up with a small handful of former tokkotai, many of whom are just hams in front of the camera and keep the students’ attention. She visits former kamikaze training sites, museums, and interviews family members as well. Students clearly see how nationalism enveloped Japanese society, with excellent footage as well from the time period.
I ask students during the film to take notes on evidence (via the attached document) that demonstrates that the Japanese were ready to give up versus the opposite. The question that frames the film revolves around the necessity of the atomic bomb. So in a way, the documentary sums up what they learned before about the Pacific theatre and closes out the war as well.
My review is on the Chinese film "To Live" directed by Zhang Yimou. I wasn't sure if I would be able to forget the subtitles and get into the story, but within minutes I wasn't even aware I was reading. I really enjoyed this film. The characters were believable, and the circumstances they encountered were right out of history and the lectures from our seminar. Since I teach 4th grade, I'm limited on how much of the film I can use, but there is one part I definitely will. I plan to teach about Chinese culture prior to our unit on the California Gold Rush, which involves the experiences of Chinese immigrants. We will look at language, calligraphy, music and the arts among other things. I will play a clip of the performance of the shadow puppets. I now look forward to viewing more sub-titled foreign films in the future. Suzanne Lopez[Edit by="slopez10 on Aug 13, 4:53:40 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="slopez10 on Aug 13, 4:55:24 PM"][/Edit]
This film concerning the border region between North and South Korea has a variety of items to offer in the classroom. I feel as though there would be two items worth offering to students in a high school classroom: The sense of Korean nationalism, and the portrayal of political differences between the North and the South.
Nationalism An important item for students to know in the 19th and 20th centuries is the idea of nationalism, or pride in your country. In this film, the differences in politics between North and South Korea are overshadowed by a sense of nationalism among the troops. As soldiers from the North interact and befriend soldiers from the South, the idea of a unified Korea seems to be the goal of both sides. A part in the movies that displayed this idea was when the Northern soldier tells the Southern soldier to get out of the way so they can get to the "Yankees," or Americans. Just as you get the feel for the common goal of unification, political differences get in the way as well.
Portrayal of political differences I was raised to think that capitalism is good and communism is bad. In the movie, the Northern soldiers had their share of opportunities to defect to the South, but spoke of not wanting to become "Yankee Puppets." Southerners love their freedom, but Northerners seem to be appalled at the idea of being subject to an outside power of the United States.
Don't show the whole thing in class Despite the story portraying real issues that exist in Korea, I would not recommend this movie for a high school classroom. There is a decent amount of profanity, and if that is not enough, the adult magazine scene may be enough to want to avoid showing this to minors. I am sure that if students are mature enough to handle the language and you can fast forward at the right points, you may have something.
"To Live" is a great movie to show Chinese history, cultures, and language. In the movie, Fugui's puppet show demonstrates one of Chinese beautiful art. The film covered Chinese Civil War, introducing two political parties, Kuomintang and Communist Party of China. It also shows the trafic ending of landowner's sabotaging the revolution. At the time of the Great Leap Forward, how people gather together all their scrap iron to produce steel and make weapon is prescribed. In the end, it is proved failure by the tragic death of Youqing. The movie continues to move forward to the Cultural Revolution which gives out the idea that traditional cultural elements are counter-revolutionary and how red guard are in charge. I was also moved by the part when Jiazhen finally reconciles with Chunsheng who accidentally killed her son Youqing and encouragingly tells him to keep living. I believe her forgiveness will be a great lesson for my students, too. As to the language part, all the actors speak clearly and choose good words. It should help Mandarin learning students with listening comprehension.
Like Rob, I also chose to review the film "To Live." First of all. it is a wonderful story. I have used it now for about six years in my AP World History course and I have yet to show it when somebody doesn't cry. The problem I have as an AP teacher is that the only time available for showing a feature length film is AFTER the AP exam in May. I make periodic references to it during the year whenever we discuss China during the Civil War/Maoist years but I just can't sacrifice two or three days of class time to show a movie. This year, I have decided to do a monthly film festival in one of our school auditoriums where I plan to show content related movies that my students can earn extra credit for viewing.
The action in the story is set in China from roughly the 1940's through the 1960's. We find the lead male character, Fugui at a gambling house engaging in his addiction, a dice game of some sort. He displays a unique talent of entertaining the folks in the gambling hall with shadow puppets. He returns home, drunk and disorderly, to a disgruntled wife and extended family. His wife, Jiazhen, explains to her husband that she plans to leave him with her two children if he doesn't control his gambling habit. To make a long story short, Fugui chooses gambling over family and eventually loses the family fortune including the house. Jiazhen does in fact leave Fugui and moves herself and her two children in with her parents. Fugui, having lost everything turns to peddling thread from a pull-cart on the streets of China.
Later, Fugui gets conscripted first into the Chinese Nationalist army and later, into the Chinese Communist Party. When the revolution subsides, Fugui returns to his home village where he is reunited with Jiazhen, who by this time has given birth to their third child. The family then experiences a whirlwind of events in Chinese history. Having served in the Communist army, Fugui manages to escape the purging of Nationalists in the early period of Communist rule. Later, the family loses a son during Mao's Great Leap Forward in an industrial accident. This is the first major tragedy that you are exposed to as a viewer and it is a real tear-jerker.
The movie progresses into the 1950's when Mao implements the Great Leap Forward. Fugui and Jiazhen's daughter is ready to give birth and the family is eagerly anticipating their first grandchild. Tragically, since all of the intellectuals have been purged, there is not a competent doctor around to make sure that the birth goes smoothly and Fengxia dies in childbirth after successfully delivering the baby (major tragedy #2).
The concept of the the movie as stated by Jiazhen, "I only want a simple life" comes through brilliantly at the end as the remaining family gathers around the graves of the son and daughter.
As a film, To Live supports the AP curriculum extremely well. My students rarely are exposed to Chinese history at all much less the three decades following the Civil War. It gives the viewer an entertaining window of what life in China must have been like complete with the sorrow and tragedy that often befell China's citizens. This movie receives my most hardy recommendation.
There are many valuable scenes in Twilight Samurai which will enhance students’ knowledge regarding feudalism in Japan and the historical samurai. Concerning Japanese feudalism and the historical samurai, the movie portrays samurai in a manner we don’t typically associate them with—bean-counter. Seibei is not the stereotypical sword-wielding samurai we have romanticized in western literary forms, but an accountant. He is also a farmer and insect cage maker which supplements his meager 50 roku salary. Seibei possesses one servant and a modest gate, more indicators of his lowered status. He is also heavily indebted because of his wife’s extravagant funeral. Any of these scenes that portray the un-glorious aspects of a Samurai’s life will help our students have a better understanding of what difficulties the historical samurai encountered at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
During the film, "To Live," the film focused on the family of Fugui and Jiaz'hen. It shows their lives through different moments throughout Chinese history. It showed the economic tormoil, politicial upheaval, and transitions during the Mao era. The story of the family was the most engaging aspect of the film. Seeing how being under different challenging circumstances made it more of what truly grabbed my interest and attention.
The film showed the transition into Mao's era. It showed the war and how it affected different types of people. It was really interesting to see how it affected the wife and her subsequent children. It also exemplified the way that specifically women, children, and rural folk were affected. It showed the familial bonds, the idea of roles in life, and the way in which people maintained/reiterated the principles of the government.
Id use this to exemplify the concept of familial bonds and roles in the culture. If at a later date, I teach History in high school, I'd be able to use this film more. I could use it in my present day course assignment of 7th grade English by teaching a thinking map of sequential, cause and effect, or any other thinking map. I think the character development, plot, compare/contrast, hierarchy, government response, or class status discussions would all be great topics to work on in my seventh grade class.
It follows the life of a low-ranking samurai named Seibei Iguchi. Even though he is poor, he manages to lead a content and happy life with his daughters and senile mother. The film is different from many other samurai-themed films in that it concertrates on showing the main character's everyday struggles, instead of fucusing on action-oriented battles.
This upcoming school year I will be teaching the sixth grade at Solano Middle. My class will consist of a mixed race group of kids who come from a poor family. In all likely-hood the students will be African-American, Hispanic, and a few Asians, with low reading levels, who get into trouble and have a low interest in school. I believe that they will see a bit of their own lives in the Iguchi family thus keeping their attention and interest a bit longer than normal. I know that my students will love viewing the movie. I will use the movie to educate my class on various aspects of Japanese culture, geography, vocabulary, art, writing and history. But, more importantly, I can teach the importance of the bond and respect one should have for self and family.
To ensure that I have had success at teaching the students about the subject, I willl hold discussions that will allow me to assess my students' prior knowledge of Japan and the Samurai era. Once the movie has been shown and i have delivered my lesson I will reassess to determine how much knowledge the students have gained.
Twilight Samurai Wood, smoke, no clocks and the chaotic retreat from what was ethical then. There was a pace to this movie that was peaceful and slow, not boring, but bucolic, prosaic and truly a proper unhurried glimpse at a time now past. A picture of Japan at the end of an era; en macro, of a Japan before the great technological changes quick to come and a Japan still at a pace of an age soon to rapidly exit. The older samauri’s distraught reality of the future of a potential life for himself beyond the hill, as he knew it might be available and swiftly coming was not a chimera, “if you would just let me go”. And as real, the adhesion to the principals the of the samurai “knight” and the request/order of those in charge was just as real. To me, both of principle characters in the battle were men of there age, caught in an in-between-time. The clumsy, sad and pathetic nature of their obligatory standoff was a ragged edge.
The beautiful scene of conversation while fly-fishing in the world before, without clocks, but of other importances associated with progress, like love and our earthly continuance as whole people with the support of those that care for us always, our closest friends, was my favorite scene. Kelly[Edit by="khoover on Aug 25, 10:54:56 PM"][/Edit]
After watching this movie and seeing the power of persuasion at its best, I was thinking about how I could possibly use the type of blind allegiance seen in "To Live" to relate to American Literature. The extent to which the children, adults, leaders believed and followed and the mantra of giving to the government because it is for the better of the Party is strikingly similar to that of women being prosecuted and persecuted for behaving wildly and unruly during the Salem Witch Hunt event.
On another note, the way in which Fugui loves his daughter though she is mute is contrary to common belief that Chinese men do not like daughters. It was clearly obvious that Fugui cared deeply for his daughter. This could be used to discern the popular belief of Chinese men and their treatment of their daughters.
Movie Review Jon Morgan-Wilson Perris High School USC/China Institute Aug. 2010
To Live / Huozhe (China - original title)
Director Yimou Zhang (b. 14 Nov. 1951)
Release Date: December 1994, USA Starring: Ge You as Xu Fugui and Gong Li as Xu Jiashen
Film Awards: 1994 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor – Ge You Grand Prize of the Jury Prize of Ecumenical Jury
1995 BAFTA Awards Best Film not in English Language
If you want to watch a Chinese movie that is a dramatic representation of life in China from the late 1950’s to the early 1970’s this is it! If you want non-stop action with little human emotion, watch “House of Flying Daggers” or “Curse of the Golden Flower” instead!
I enjoyed this film and will use it to enhance my AP World History class because it is the story of a rather common and endearing Chinese man named Fugui (which stands for luck/fortune) who struggles to deal with sometimes funny but more often tragic events that occur in his life during the Chinese Civil War, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The movie provides an insiders view of how things happened from the 50’s to the 70’s in China, a period where in America Elvis was king, the Beatles later arrived and life was great! Director Zhang Yimou was born in 1951 and survived the period himself. When you realize that the film is banned in China, it makes the content even more intriguing!
The movie features two of China’s most famous movie stars, Ge You and Gong Li. Their performances are definitely star quality and after viewing this movie I purchased my own copy and have watched it about once a week. The cinematography is beautiful and gives the viewer a sense of the sights, sounds and lives of the average Chinese person who lived through that tumultuous period in Chinese history.
Advanced students should appreciate this film and as probably one of their first experiences with a foreign film it should keep them captivated! Discussions about the Chinese film industry could also be engaging and provide students with the opportunity to investigate more about the culture of Asia today! [Edit by="jmorgan on Aug 27, 4:48:59 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="jmorgan on Aug 27, 4:50:51 PM"][/Edit]
REVIEW: Memoirs of a Geisha I originally wanted to look at the film based on Lisa Dalby's booked turned into a movie until I found out it was a made-for-TV movie with Pam Dauber. I wonder if Robin Williams would be helping her into her kimono. I chose instead this movie based on the seminal work that took 15 years of research before being published. Ms. Dalby also consulted on this film as well.I found the film to be typical of most Asian films I've seen with the prolonged close-ups coupled with the great landscape graphics and the orchestrated music which really is not a sound effect, but an instrument that touches us in the affective areas of our brain. Dr. David Rose of Harvard has written extensively of how the music can be changed in a scene and how profound effect that has on our anticipation of what is about to happen. I really liked one of the opening lines with the proper enhancement of sound affects. It may in fact be the first English spoken line in the film"this is a story that should not be told" I felt persistent pain when the girl sold into the Geishadom persistently and consistently required to state "where is my sister?' In the first half hour of the film I introspectively looked at my own beliefs of what a Geisha is. Prostitute, educated, great social skills, sake drinker...and then she asked" What is a Geisha?" The answer is one of fluctuation dependent on the time, place and history framed in different contexts. The music, costume, stage props, and choreography had me mesmerized. Splendid, rich, and beautiful but unfortunately with a sad number of stories attached. I teach a transition skills class for students with disabilities. the academic literature is right and abundant with the notion that 9/10 individuals with disabilities will be abused in some way throughout their lifetime.It may be physical, emotional, sexual, for financial. I believe there are great snippets of this film that I could incorporate into lessons that I've already developed regarding abuse and domestic violence.
”24 city” is film by the Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke. According to Richard Brody, The New Yorker, the movie is “an ingenious blend of documentary and fiction, as well as a meditation of history and its effacement in contemporary China”. I cannot agree more with his statement. The decision to demolish Factory 420 which employed 30, 000 workers and build an apartment complex is nothing more but “effacement” of the history of these people living in the city of Chengdu. My recommendation is to watch the movie the same way it has been done -in segments. It is good to watch it at once yet it might be beneficial to return to some scenes and see them again. The movie “24 city” presents the stories of real and fictional characters and it is a depiction of the transition from communist to pre-capitalist organization of the economy and and respectively the social life of the people. The opening scene presenting the crowd walking to attend the meeting is clear testimony of the idea of the togetherness in communist China and the last scene presenting the young girl Su Na working as shopper -bring expensive products from Hong-Kong for rich people in China supports clearly the idea that the country has moved towards a new economic reality. There are several possibilities to incorporate clips from the movie while teaching World History-the Modern World. First of all, using the comparative method of teaching the historical phenomena, the scene of Su Na can be used to teach about the transition from communism to capitalism of Eastern European countries and China. The feature movie I have already used to present the changes in the city of Berlin as part of the Democratic Republic of Germany is “Good bye, Lenin”. The main character of the German movie is almost the same age as Su Na and it might be interesting to compare the lives of the two characters through the changes in their countries. Another option to use the movie as a teaching tool is as part of unit on urban renewal in the post-war society. Factory 420 producing parts for the aviation industry is no longer in need and the decision was made to build apartments. The same situation one can observe in post-World War II United States and Western Europe. There are once again opportunities for students to compare same events in different places. I have personally enjoyed the stories of Little Flower and Su Na-two women born 25 years apart from each other, different and similar. Little Flower and Su Na depict women able to liberate themselves from the dogmas of the society-the first one not able to marry because of her beauty and the younger one determined to make money and save her mother from the hard working conditions. As a teaching tool the stories of the two women can be used to present the changing role of women in the society. I highly recommend the movie to everybody interested to understand the transition from communism to capitalism in the late 1980-early 1990s in Eastern Europe and China.
So, this week I watched: "The Way Home" which is a Korean film that came out in 2002. It's about a little boy who is left with his grandmother while his mother looks for work. The boy grew up in the city and must live with his grandmother in the countryside. In the beginning, the kid was a mean, little brat; he was demanding and selfish. Over time, the child mellows out and begins to appreciate his grandmother's patience and good nature. It was a film about growing up. I highly recommend this film. It's not dramatic nor does it beat you over the head with over-the-top emotions; most importantly--it's not Hollywood.
The author of a new study about Mulan and representations of Mulan posted the following note to the H-Asia discussion list. I think it may be an interesting resource for those planning to use the film or those who are interested in the history of Mulan and stories about Mulan.
Mulan, the warrior maiden who performed heroic deeds in battle while dressed as a male soldier, has had many incarnations from her first appearance as a heroine in an ancient Chinese folk ballad. Mulan's story was retold for centuries, extolling the filial virtue of the young woman who placed her father's honor and well-being above her own. With the publication of Maxine Hong Kingston's _The Woman Warrior_ in the late 1970s, Mulan first became familiar to American audiences who were fascinated with the extraordinary Asian American character. Mulan's story was recast yet again in the popular 1998 animated Disney film and its sequel.
In _Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States_, Lan Dong traces the development of this popular icon and asks, "Who is the real Mulan?" and "What does authenticity mean for the critic looking at this story?" Dong charts this character's literary voyage across historical and geographical borders, discussing the narratives and images of Mulan over a long time spanfrom premodern China to the contemporary United States to Mulan's counter-migration back to her homeland.
As Dong shows, Mulan has been reinvented repeatedly in both China and the United States so that her character represents different agendas in each retellingespecially after she reached the western hemisphere. The dutiful and loyal daughter, the fierce, pregnant warrior, and the feisty teenaged heroineeach is Mulan representing an idea about female virtue at a particular time and place.
Reviews "Dong has convinced me: She is the world's authority on iterations of Mulan. She does a meticulous and scholarly job of finding and outlining versions of Mulan between the 'Ballad,' Kingston's, and Disney's. The chapters are a great pleasure to read and bold in their argumentation . Dong performs brilliant close-readings of texts that clearly benefit from her unique and comprehensive knowledge of Mulan tales. This book makes a unique contribution to Asian, Asian American, and American studies, and it reads like a labor of true scholarly love. Bravo!" Floyd Cheung, Smith College
"Dong's engagement with probably the most emblematic figure in Asian American literature is timely and admirable. She provides a comprehensive account of the historical presence of the Mulan legend/Ballad in Chinese literature and a compelling discussion of the ways the story has evolved using a wealth of archival data on the legend through the centuries." Rocio G. Davis, City University of Hong Kong
Lan Dong English Department University of Illinois
--------------------------- Note: The Temple UP website lists the book's contents as follows:
Contents, List of Figures, Acknowledgments 1. Prologue 2. Heroic Lineage: Military Women and Lady Knights-Errant in Premodern China 3. From a Courageous Maiden in Legend to a Virtuous Icon in History 4. The White Tiger Mythology: A Woman Warrior's Autobiography 5. One Heroine, Many Characters: Mulan in American Picture Books 6. Of Animation and Mulan's International Fame 7. Epilogue Appendix, Notes, Bibliography, Index
Last night, I watched the film “A State of Mind” and was surprisingly disturbed by it. To give a brief summary in case you are interested in watching it as well, a British film crew follows the daily lives of two young, female rhythmic gymnasts from North Korea in the few months leading up to the Mass Games, which is a HUGE, highly regimented performance put on by the citizens of North Korea in the capital city, Pyongyang, to celebrate national holidays, such as the birthdays of rulers Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, who in the end don’t even show up despite the ridiculous amount of effort put in by the performers.
I expected a film that showed the girls practicing their sport in a gym to get ready for something like the Olympics. I had no idea that they were getting ready for the Mass Games nor did I have any idea what the Mass Games were until I watched the film. Likewise, in retrospect, I had little understanding of how truly brainwashed the North Koreans are to completely worship their leaders, both past and present. The images the filmmakers caught were unexpected. For example, the image of the leader Kim Jong-il is literally everywhere, the streets, the classrooms, each room in the apartments of the people. What I found even more disturbing was that in the capital city, every single kitchen has a radio that pipes in news and music praising the “General”, Kim Jon-il, that cannot be turned off, only turned down. Likewise, the camera showed clips of the ONE TV station the people are allowed to watch which was entirely made up of propaganda promoting the General and the communist party. To make me feel even more uneasy was the sheer amount of hatred the North Koreans have towards the US. The parents talked about how evil America was, the camera revealed propaganda posters around the city showing the US being destroyed or stamped out of existence; in the classroom, the history teachers were going on and on about how the US wanted to destroy North Korea and take away “the laughter of the people.” Even one of the girls the camera crew was following gave a small speech about how the US was wrong and needed to be destroyed. Such images and language worry me because the people of North Korea are so brainwashed and completely cut off from what is happening in the world, even one of the fathers, a college professor unintentionally confessed to not knowing much about world politics. They honestly believe that the US’s ONLY agenda is to completely annihilate North Korea and NOTHING else. I found it saddening that an entire population should be so trusting in what their government says without ever receiving any factual information to support any of their government’s opinions.
While watching these rather uncomfortable images, I started to realize that this film would be the perfect film to show my students when we start reading Animal Farm, which deals with communism, socialism, propaganda, and dictatorships. This film has a plethora of examples to choose from, from the propaganda posters around the city, to the radio show forcibly being played in each kitchen, to the one TV channel spewing even more propaganda, to the brainwashing occurring in the classrooms, to the Mass Games themselves which promotes the group mentality over the individual. This film demonstrates to our students a present-day example of a dictatorship, which I think our students would benefit from seeing. Sometimes, I feel that our students feel too removed from learning about history and they start believing that such events were in the past and will have no effect on their present, which is a falsity. North Korea, as many of us know, is a prominent figure in today’s news and our students should be aware of what is going on in our world today, especially as their lives become more global with the increasing use and prevalence of technology in their daily lives.
I realize my review is a way too long, but I had a lot to say after seeing a film that provoked so much thought 12 hours after watching it.
Film Synopsis: I watched the 2007 Chinese documentary, Up the Yangtze, by director Yung Chang. The director raises many issues and themes that can easily be incorporated into the classroom and more specifically into the California Social Studies standards. The documentary focuses on the life of protagonist Yu Shui, a young girl from a very poor family. The director also features a young man from a different socio-economic background. The two characters lives intersect as they both take a job on a cruise ship that travels up the Yangtze River. In the backdrop of the film lies the monumental transformation of nature heralded by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam that will radically alter the lives of the people living along the river and shatter the ancient historical importance of the region to the Chinese.
Although Yu Shui wants to continue her education beyond middle school, her parents compel her to work. She reluctantly begins her new job as a dishwasher on the ship. As the daughter of a poor family that subsists by planting vegetables and raising chickens, she is very humble and dutiful. Her parents remind her that it is her obligation to be obedient and parsimonious with her earnings. The parents warn her not to spend her earnings frivolously since she needs to give her salary to her parents. On the other hand, the young man in the film serves as diametrical juxtaposition to Yu Shui. He is an arrogant, self-centered only child who chose to work to become rich. He is confident that he will earn a lot of money because he is “handsome” and speaks “good English.” The director artfully explores various issues including sexism, class contradictions, cultural capital, geography and cultural traditions through these characters and their interaction with each other and foreign Western tourists.
California Standards: The film is a perfect fit for the following analysis skills that often get overlooked:
STANDARD: • Students analyze how change happens at different rates at different times; understand that some aspects can change while others remain the same; and understand that change is complicated and affects not only technology and politics but also values and beliefs.
FILM APPLICATION: The two characters reflect the uneven cultural changes in China-Yu Shui is much more traditional whereas the young man is more modern.
STANDARD: • Students use a variety of maps and documents to interpret human movement, including major patterns of domestic and international migration, changing environmental preferences and settlement patterns, the frictions that develop between population groups, and the diffusion of ideas, technological innovations, and goods.
• Students relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.
• Students show the connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments.
• Students analyze human modifications of landscapes and examine the resulting environmental policy issues.
FILM APPLICATION: The construction of the Three Gorges Dam perfectly captures the aforementioned themes. There are numerous references to the changing landscape and the subsequent massive human migration resulting from the flooding the region will incur as a result of the dam construction. The interviews also feature various Chinese people discussing the personal sacrifices that they must make for “the good of the nation.”
STANDARD: • 10.10-Students analyze instances of nation-building in the contemporary world in at least two of the following regions or countries: the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and other parts of Latin America, and China.
• 10.11- Students analyze the integration of countries into the world economy and the information, technological, and communications revolutions (e.g., television, satellites, computers).
• FILM APPLICATION: The film offers an interesting mosaic of the shifting economic, cultural, geographic trends in China. This is a great film to use to explore the consequences of China’s burgeoning ascension as a world power. It is also a great piece to explore its rapport with foreign tourists and the conflation of that interaction.
As I have already mentioned my opinion in some of my other posts, globalization (whatever it means) can be perceived in terms of universals and specifics of different areas, levels, and categories. Human language, for instance, is a perfect example of a universal phenomenon (Are there any societies without a language?) materialized through its specific realizations shaped by the specific realizations of other universal phenomena. Art (and the language of art) is another universal (Are there any human societies without art?) realized through a wide variety of ethnic, religious, historical, geographic, and other specifics. Literature and its 20th century’s in vitro child, the cinema, do not represent any exceptions; they are universal and exist through their specific realizations. A number of literary works, as well as a number of cinematographic works, can be used as evidence to support this statement. Both literature and cinema deal with human character’s traits, motivations, feelings, passion, struggles, and experience. Both literature and cinema can quite persuasively illustrate the relationship between universality and specificity as global significance in a local context. As powerful examples can be used A. Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptations Throne of Blood (Macbeth), The Bad Sleep Well (Hamlet), and the most powerful one, Ran (King Lear). Though quite free, the adaptations (especially Ran) confirm the universal significance of values like justice, nobility, loyalty, power, and authority. Both King Lear and Ran (the Japanese King Lear) are set in feudal societies (a universal social system), deal with the same values (mentioned above), and use similar motifs (e.g., madness, betrayal) and symbols (e.g., storms, blindness) for the same purpose – to teach a lesson. It is true, literature and cinema, like any other kind of art, can be studied for different purposes and one of them is to teach the young generations the value of the universals and the universality of the human values. In such a context A. Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptations go far beyond the limitations of their settings in time and space.
I watched Farewell My Concubine this winter break. I knew Clay had said it was a great movie but more generic. I really enjoyed it from the beginning. I was enthralled with the influence of the opera on chinese society, and especially how it could only be males in the productions. I could use this information, and even some scenes from the movie, to compare with Elizabethan drama with Shakespeare.
While it had a great, sad story, I would most likely use this film for the Mao intolerance of the old regime after 1949. In particular the scene where the two main characters are interrogated for their loyalty to the old regime and their disloyalty to the communist party. I would use this also to show how other groups in history have used similar tactics (Nazis, McCarthy, etc.).
I really liked this film and even if you do not see a direct correlation of how you could use this film in your own class, I recommend watching it!
I have decided to go with my initial idea of using Kurosawa's film Rashomon. When we teach our unit on persuasive writing, we teach our students how to evaluate an argument, bias and ethos, pathos and logos arguments. I believe that each of those argument styles as well as bias can be applied to an evaluation of the stories within this film. The film tells the tale of the rape of a woman and the murder of her samurai husband by a bandit. The story is told in 4 different perspectives. There is the perspective of the bandit, who makes it seem that he boldly committed the crime and murdered the husband; The woman, who strangely enough many believe is manipulating people with her tears; her dead husband; who speaks through a medium and lastly a witness. It's truly interesting because as a viewer, one is trying to figure out which account is the real story of what happened, and what each person had to gain by their story. This would be great to have kids evaluate bias. What does each character stand to gain by their argument? How does each make use of ethos, pathos and logos appeals?
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 154 878 El Monte Union High School District 7 1 1078 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} "The Way Home" is a contemporary Korean film. The movie is about a young boy who is left to live with his grandmother in rural Korea while mother looks for work in the city. The young boy Sang woo had lived in the city his whole life before being left by his mother. Sang woo has been spoiled with modern technology and material items. He is selfish and very disrespectful to his old grandmother. His behavior intensifies when he begins to believe that he has been abandoned by his mother. The persistence and love his grandmother uses in caring for him teaches him valuable life lessons. This film was shot in an ordinary village in Korea and used locals as actors in the film. Sang woo symbolizes the conflict that Korea currently faces. As Korea begins to modernize there is conflict within to compromise traditional culture and customs with those that are now being introduced in modern culture. This movie can be used in the classroom to demonstrate the social issue that Koreans are faced with due to its changing economy in the contemporary world.
This film made in 1998, is set at the end of China's Warring States period in the 3rd Century BCE. It follows the character of Ying Zheng, who would later become known as Qin Shihuangdi, the first emperor of China. The basic plot is Zheng's plan to unify the seven kingdoms of China under one ruler, himself. Following the Mandate of Heaven, he believed that he was the chosen ruler to end the time of war and bring "peace" to China. The viewer gets an inside look at the planning and strategy that went into the attempt at unification. The film is broken into five chapters as the king conquers and unifies China. The underlying story is the realtionship between Zheng and one of his concubines, Lady Zhao. They formulate a plan to set up an assassination that will ultimately fail, to show the invincibility of the king.
It was kind of hard to follow since my knowledge of early Chinese history isn't so great, but the point that I really wanted my class to see really shines through. In the sixth grade they learn about Qin Shihuangdi and his harsh, strict rulership. His rule while effective, showed the consequence of non-benevolent ruler that China wanted. This film allows the students to see that Qin Shihuangdi started out seemingly with good intentions, but as the motivation to fulfill the Mandate of Heaven grew because of resistance to his rule, you can see the change in his character as he becomes more iron-fisted.
This aligns with 7th grade HSS Standard 7.3.6 - Describe the development of the imperial state and the scholar official class. I would use this film to help show my students how power can lead to changes in one’s character, how it can corrupt people, so they can recognize this factor in the downfall of the many Chinese dynasties.
This film tells the story of the early life of Gengis Khan. The obvious use would be to use this film to teach about Genghis Khan and the Mongols, which would be great. I teach U.S. history so I though of anoter way I could use it. The Mongols nomadic lifestlyle was very similar to that of many of the nomadic Native American tribes of the United States. To use this film in my class I would first choose one of the Native American tribes, probably one of the tribes form The Great Plains because it would be easy to fit in to the standards. I would teach my students about their lifestyle. I would then show this film to my students to have them compare and contrast the Native Americans with the Mongols. A further extension of this would be to ask the students why they think their lifestyles were so similar? Was it because the Native Americans originated from Asia? Or could it just be similar geography?
Princess Mononoke (1997) is an animated movie from the master animator Hiyao Miyazaki. At one time it was the most popular movie in Japan, even outdrawing the world wide blockbuster Titanic. Its themes of environmentalism and fantasy in a historical setting is thought provoking and challenging. It really shows the Japanese reverence for nature and the struggle that humans have in balancing exploitation and survival. I use this film in World Geography as students study the use of the world’s resources to create their standard of living and the effect that it has on the world’s environment. Set in feudal Japan, it follows the story of Ashitaka, a prince of a people who shun the outside world. Their hidden existence is threatened when a giant boar, attacks the village. Ashitaka defeats the boar but is wounded giving him a demon arm, which gives him super-strength but will eventually kill him. He discovers an iron ball wounded the giant boar and drove it mad. Ashitaka leaves the village to discover the source of the iron. His quest takes him to the west forest defended by forest gods in the form of giant animals. There he meets the wolf girl San who is called Princess Mononoke by the villagers of Irontown, who are cutting down the forest as they produce iron. The ultimate battle between the humans and the forest is exemplified by the Forest Spirit who is hunted by the Japanese emperor who seeks eternal life. This is not a simple movie and may require multiple viewings to understand all of the issues raised by the intricate plot. This is a beautiful movie. The artwork is awe-inspiring, a blend of hand drawn cell animation with a touch of computer aided animation. The forest comes alive with color and detail. It can be enjoyed as an adventure action story or an environmental fable. This is not a children’s story; there are scenes of violence and death, and complicated themes that should challenge how one views nature and people’s place within it.
The video I viewed was an A&E award-winning series “Biography” DVD. The title is “Confucius: Words of Wisdom”. Its copyright date is 1996 and it is approx. 50 minutes in length, which would work well for an entire period or split into to 30 minute viewings.
The documentary explores the life and times of Confucius – from childhood to his adult career and death. It also highlights his achievements, particularly how his philosophy has influenced the world today – both inside and outside of China. One interesting aspect is that there is an interview with someone who claims to be a direct descendant of Confucius.
The other highlight is that the DVD comes with a study guide that includes a list of vocabulary words and discussion questions. I provided my students with a list of the questions prior to viewing the film and they were able to answer the questions as they watched. This helped to keep them engaged. There are also a few extra credit ideas, such as writing a comparative essay or completing a poster project.
I enjoyed this film, but I also enjoy a lot of documentaries from A&E. What really mattered was that my seventh grade English students were engaged and interested.
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI FILM REVIEW: I just had the pleasure of watching THE LAST SAMURAI which was recommended during our Session 5 or 6 on Japan. I highly recommend this movie as it is very touching as well as educational. The story is about a man, recently widowed and his two daughters. The film is told from the daughter's point of view. There is ACTION, ROMANCE, and pretty cinematography. You can order it from NETFLIX. I intend to show sections of it to my class. GREAT FILM! edited by mfraser on 4/25/2011
As I was describing how much I enjoyed watching The Twilight Samurai, I mistakenly referred to it as The Last Samurai. When I went to edit my post, it took me in and then away and I was not able to correct it. So, The Twilight Samurai is much better than The Last Samurai..or so I hear as I did not see The Last Samurai.
Dear Ishifflett (I hope I wrote your Name correctly); I am very familiar with the film Asoka and I would definitely recommend showing it to students. In fact, I have shown rated "R" films to my students in the past after previously notifiying parents about the content of the film and how it related to the concepts covered in class and after getting a written consent. LAUSD actually has a form available for such films, perhaps your district does as well. In any event, please keep in mind that the rating systems in Asia are very different to those in the U.S. so a rated "R" Asian film is much cleaner than a "PG13" film in the U.S. so don't be discouraged by that factor alone. As I mentioned before, I've shown relatively graphic films to my students and they've responded with impressive maturity because I also prepared for the same through the various lessons and classroom discussions we had on social issues that are often times difficult to address in the first place. Asoka is definitely a must show film and I actually thank you very much for reminding me about it. I watched it a while ago and unfortunately didn't think about it when I covered Buddhism with my class, otherwise it would have complimented the lessons quite well.
Check out this powerpoint: Qinghai-TibetRailway000(R).pps Short powerpoint explaining the engineering feats of connecting Tibet to China's railway system. Very informative, amazing, and inspiring! Qinghai-TibetRailway000(R).pps (2993KB) Well: unfortunately, I don't know how I can ADD this attachment..it is a powerpoint. Can anybody tell me?
This powerpoint is making the rounds, sometimes with and sometimes without the opening title slides, etc. I've been sent versions by over five people. Some of the photos are stunning. One of those images, though, has also come in for considerable discussion. A 2008 Wall Street Journal blog entry discussed it:
*** "Earlier this week, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, issued an unusual public apology for publishing a doctored photograph of Tibetan wildlife frolicking near a high-speed train. "The deception -- uncovered by Chinese Internet users who sniffed out a Photoshop scam in the award-winning picture -- has brought on a big debate about media ethics, China's troubled relationship with Tibet, and how pregnant antelope react to noise." *** Here is a China Daily article about the photo: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-02/19/content_6464965.htm The ppt has also stimulated considerable debate over the ecological impact on the plateau, on the economic consequences of opening the region to greater investment and tourism, and more. Many commentators have taken the presentation to task for being an uncritical endorsement of Chinese government development efforts in the region.
I'm truly delighted by your film review because it provides me an awesome resource to use with my 10th graders next time I teach Samurai Shortstop. Like the film you describe, this book addresses the conflict between tradition and modernity. This is the story of a young man who is torn between following the Samurai tradition his father, the last samurai, has passed on to him and his love of baseball, a foreign traditon. I think the two would work wonders and would definitely help put the story into context for students who lack exposure to Japanese culture. Thanks much!!
The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, is an interesting movie which portrays Japanese history and culture during the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century. As a former American army captain, Nathan Algren is hired by a Japanese businessman, Omura, to train and westernize the Japanese army in order to eliminate the Samurai, which represent the old traditions of war. With his traumatic war experiences and a twist of fate, Algren becomes a captive of a Samurai, Katsumoto. From an enemy to an ally to Katsumoto, Algren transforms his sense of personal dignity, loyalty, and spirit.
It is R rated movie, so selective view is advised when you show it to the class. Students will learn that although change is inevitable in a moving society, one must also remember the origins, respect its culture, and value its traditions.
The movie “Let the Bullet Fly” is a good one conducted by Jiang Wen, a famous movie star in China. It tells a story about a person who buys positions from the government for himself. Once he gets the position, he collects money from people to make himself rich. The background of this movie was back to the beginning of last century, but after I watched this movie, I can see the shadow of this kind of thing that is happening in the present society in China. I realize the brave producer of the movie just want to reflect the bankruptcy in China at present. People now use their money to buy the position they want, such as the director of a department, principle of a school, the president of a college. After they got the position, they can make more money than they used for the position by either abuse their power or collect money of big gift from people working under their leadership. That is really something bad, jet people just do it for the benefit of themselves.
BEATE SIROTA GORDON WHO DRAFTED WOMEN’S RIGHTS SECTION OF
JAPANESE CONSTITUTION TO DISCUSS LITTLE-KNOWN STORY AT JANM
Rare L.A. Speaking Engagement for 86-Year-Old Set for Tateuchi Democracy Forum May 16
LOS ANGELES.— The only woman to play a role in the writing of the Japanese Constitution, Beate Sirota Gordon, will speak about her memories in advocating for equal rights for Japanese women, on Sunday, May 16 at the Japanese American National Museum’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum in her first speaking engagement in Southern California. This program is organized in partnership between the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation and the National Museum and co-sponsored by the Kasloff Foundation/U.S. Japan Cultural Education, American Airlines and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. It is supported by the Miyako Hotel, Los Angeles, and Japan Foundation.
Mrs. Gordon, daughter of internationally renowned Ukranian pianist Leo Sirota, was raised in Japan while her father worked at the Imperial Academy of Music. She moved to America in 1939 to attend Mills College, and when the war began, her parents were still in Japan. Mrs. Gordon would not see them again until the post-war. To get back to Japan to see her parents, she joined the U.S. government as someone who spoke Japanese and understood the culture.
Beate was assigned in 1946 at the age of 22 to work for the political affairs staff for General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was intent on turning Japan into a democracy and he told 25 of his staff, including Beate, to draft Japan’s new constitution. In fact, Beate was the only woman in this group. Assigned to the civil rights subcommittee, she was given the responsibility to write the articles related to women’s rights. Knowing Japan’s long patriarchal history, she “finally decided that I must give rights that were very detailed and explicit so that they could not be misinterpreted.”
Among the landmark pieces Beate wrote was part of Article 14: “All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.” At the time, and for five decades afterwards, few people knew who drafted Japan’s constitution, including Beate’s historic role involving women’s rights.
Mrs. Gordon did not speak publicly of her contributions for nearly 50 years. As she will explain in her lecture set for 2 p.m., she began discussing her story only beginning in 1995 and has been asked to speak numerous times at colleges and universities and other venues throughout Japan as well as in the United States. Author of “The Only Woman in the Room”, Mrs. Gordon has been interviewed on NPR radio, “Nightline” with Ted Koppel and other media outlets.
She married Joseph Gordon, who she had meet in Japan during the Occupation, and moved to New York in 1947 to study ballet, modern dance, ethnic and folk dance, piano and drama. Mrs. Gordon spent her life working in support of the performing arts as well as the Japan Society of New York and the Asia Society. Since the story of her advocacy of women’s rights became public in Japan, Mrs. Gordon has become an iconic figure. A Beate Appreciation Society was formed and her story has been told in documentaries, stage productions and Japanese manga.
At 11 a.m., in support of Mrs. Gordon’s lecture, the film screening of “Sirota Family & the 20th Century” an award winning documentary film by Tomoko Fujiwara, will be shown. This film will feature Mrs. Gordon, and her family as they struggled to survive their travels from country to country as a Jewish family during World War II. There will be a light reception following the lecture.
Due to limited seating, ticket reservations and payments will be required in advance. The presentation will be $27 for National Museum members and $30 for non-members. Please send reservation forms, available online at www.janm.org, and payments to the Japanese American National Museum.
The Tateuchi Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum is located on 100 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information, call 213.625.0414, ext. 2249, or go to www.janm.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Komai
213.830.5648 ckomai@janm.org
I viewed "The Blue Kite" a Chinese film that has been banned in China. It is about the rise of Mao and Communism in China in the 1950's. It was a pretty long film, but really showed how everyday people in China were effected by Communism.
The parts of the film that I would use from this film in my classroom are the parts about rationing food and sharing with the community.
I would first show them the scene from the communal table and how wasteful some of them were being when they were eating together and then I would show them the scene from when the grandmother is cooking dumplings and the neighbors come and take them away saying that she has been hording and stealing food that should be shared with the entire community. There is another scene where the mother leaves to work as a farmer for several months even though she is a teacher. They want everyone to help "feed the nation and do their part". I think those scenes would help them understand Communism and the idea of "community" property.
Another scene that I would like to share with them, but it is probably a little too edgy for a classroom is when the students rise up and beat and stone the principal of their school because she is seen as a "rightest" or "anti Communist". I would then lead that into a discussion about how the government encouraged those attacks and their reasons.
I wish the film had talked more about the reform camps so I could give students an idea about how people were treated in the camps. They could compare and contrast them to the Nazi Concentration Camps and the Japanese Internment Camps in the U.S.
Blue Kite sounds interesting. Where did you get a copy to view? Thanks.
The King of Masks
101 minutes. No MPAA rating (I would estimate a PG to PG 13 only because of the hermaphrodite/female impersonator opera singer---but seriously---NOTHING compared to typical Hollywood PG-13 movies nowadays with their stupid, mindless, and gratuitous cussing and sexual situations).
Directed by Wu Tianming
Bian Lian Wang: Zhu Xu (plays the "King") won lots of awards for his acting
Doggie: Zhou Ren-ying (the kid) should of won lots of awards for acting!
Tien Che: Zhang Riuyang
Liang Sao Lang: Zhao Zhigang (the opera singer-also an opera singer in real life)
I found this movie captivating and surprising. Surprising first because the production values were so high. I usually watch older, lower budget Asian films, so I wasn't expecting the early celebration scenes of 1930's China, what with fireworks and giant dragon puppets- Awesome. NOT DISNEY. Immediately, one wishes to have lived there, in that time, or to visit now, and be among the quality, beauty, and harmony of buildings and maze-like city somewhere in rural-ish ? China.
The story was interesting, regarding an older, somewhat impoverished (but not in art and spirit) street artist (the King of Masks), who wants an heir to pass his art on to. The heir must be male and this leads to some complications and some questioning of traditional gender values. One of the most successful performers is a hermaphrodite, who is portrayed as someone who has managed to find a respected niche wile maintaining the highest values of compassion, respect, and loyal community.
The fortunes of the King of Masks rise and fall. We learn about life in that era and the vagaries of the justice system (eerily parallel to how ours works at times). Issues of filial piety (traditional values worth keeping!) and community beg the question of just what constitutes "family," anyway. All of these questions/issues are dealt with rather subtley, it does not feel like an in-your-face- political statement- just like real life.
OK, can I just say- the acting was A-1 A-MAZING! From the King of Masks to the kid, to all the supporting cast- fantastic!
I think it is a valuable movie to show the advanced culture of China at that time- not just the architecture, and the art forms, but the (somewhat) changing, traditional values of the time. I think that my students would really relate to the street urchin who must get by on street smarts and heart, and who really ends up a hero
Great movie.
from Wikipedia:
"The film won a number of awards at various film festivals around the world. It had a limited American theatrical release in 1999 and earned about $1,000,000Text
From ROGER EBERT:
"The King of Masks" was directed by Wu Tianming, who as a studio head in the 1980s helped bring the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers to prominence. After the Tiananmen Square revolt, he moved to the United States and returned in 1995. This is his first film after his homecoming, and although it has no overt political message, perhaps it is no accident that its hero is a stubborn artist who clings to his secrets.
Text
The movie I saw was called "Not One Less." It is a chinese film about chinese education in the early 1990's. It is a touching film about a 13 year old girl who is a substitute teacher at a rural school. She is told not to lose any students and searches after one student who decides to go to the city for work. I teach middle school math and could not really tie this movie into my Algebra curiculum, but has an important lesson for middle school students. It teaches the importance of relationships, education, commitment, poverty, and life. I think that most of my students would benefit from seeing how others live that are outside of the US. It would be a very valuable lesson. However, my only fear due to the some what slow pace of the movie, it would not be able to captivate them enough to watch until the end without losing interest. It doesn't have enough action and might be too long for some of them to get through the subtitles. Although the ones who are able to, will be glad they did.
Most Honorable Son (PBS)
Directed and written by Bill Kubota
Co-produced by Ed Moore and Joel Geyel
This is a fascinating film about Ben Kuroki a Japanese American born in Nebraska. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the war broke-out, he hated being Japanese and felt guilty about what they did. He volunteered repeatedly before he was accepted into the airforce. Initially, he was stuck on the ground peeling potatoes for over 20 days straight until he finally found himself with a squadron after making enough noise.
Ben was sent to Europe to fight against the Germans. After completing 25 missions, he returned to the United
States. He then requested to pilot the B-29, an aircraft being used to bomb Japan. In one night, 80,000 people were killed by the fire bomb attacks of the B-29s.
I understand that Ben Kuroki saw himself as a true American but my understanding falls short as to why he would annihilate his own people. His self hatred must have propelled him to destroy any image that looked like the reflection in his own mirror.
The assignments that I have created around this story will deal with creative writing and persuasion.Students will beome a character living in 1940s. They must be japanese and tell me where they live (country); who they are; what life entails during this time as this character. The next assignment will be a debate on war. Students will be placed in groups to debate topics such, are there any merits to war? and, would you be able to bomb your own ethnicity if you were a citizen of another country? The culminating assignment will involve a gallery walk on the bombing of Pearl harbor from the aspect of Americans and the Japanese.
"The Sinking of Japan" movie is a very good way to show the effects of plate tectonics. It has great video of tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes and shows what the after-effects they have on people, buildings, and the landscape.[Edit by="eschlum on Jun 7, 10:46:59 PM"][/Edit]
The King of Masks can be ordered from Netflix on dvd or streamed to your computer or internet-connected television. This is true of some other Chinese films as well.
Hi all,
Now in its 16th year, the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival invites you to explore the more than 200 feature films, documentaries, shorts and music videos that will screen in downtown Los Angeles from June 17-27.
1428 (China, Hong Kong)
Dir. Du Haibin
Filmmaker Du Haibin artfully hones in on the aftermath of the great Sichuan earthquake of 2008, capturing the intimate reactions of the survivors and the government's response, both ten days after the tragedy and seven months later. Winner of the documentary award at the Venice Film Festival.
Sun, Jun 20th, 1:45pm & Mon, Jun 21st, 8:00pm, at Regal 13
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/AA
Café Noir (South Korea)
Dir. Jung Sung-il
Combining classical European literature with leftist politics and sly homages to the past decade of Korean cinema, this sprawling, playful examination of unrequited love is the directorial debut of film critic turned audacious auteur Jung Sung-il.
Sun, Jun 20th, 8pm & Wed, Jun 23rd 8pm, at Regal 12
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/CC
Golden Slumber (Japan)
Dir. Nakamura Yoshihiro
A comic thriller. Certainly the year’s most heartwarming film about political assassination, serial killers, conspiracy theories, and the Beatles, this non-stop Japanese pop-thriller offers up laughs, tears, and more than a few explosions.
Sun, Jun 20th, 4pm, at Downtown Independent & Sat, Jun 26th, 8pm, at Regal 12
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/GG
Judge (China)
Dir. Liu Jie
This devastating Chinese drama traces the intertwined lives of a grieving judge, a car thief he's sentenced to death, and a rich man who desperately needs a kidney transplant.
Sat, Jun 19th, 4:30pm & Tue, Jun 22nd, 7:30pm, at Regal 8
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/JJ
The Red Chapel (Denmark)
Dir. Mads Brugger
Documentary: Two Korean-Danish comedians and their trickster director infiltrate North Korea to expose its horrors in a documentary way stranger than fiction.
Sat, Jun 19th, 7:30pm, at Downtown Independent & Thu, Jun 24th, 7:45pm, at Regal 10
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/RR
Woman on Fire Looks for Water (Malaysia, South Korea)
Dir. Woo Ming-jin
With a keen eye for the meditative rhythms of life in a small village, this lyrical film follows a father and son as they each yearn for a love that may never come.
Fri, Jun 18th, 8pm, at Regal 12, & Sun, Jun 20th, 1:45pm, at Regal 9
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/WW
Big in Japan (Japan)
Top Japanese music videos – screened at the Grammy Museum.
Sat, Jun 19th, 7:30pm, & Wed, 23rd, 9:45pm, at Grammy Museum
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/BB
Climate Refugees (Bangladesh, Chad, China, Kenya, Tuvalu, USA)
“Climate Refugees” is a term few people outside the U.S. military and U.N. circles were familiar with outside the US military and UN circles…until now. As alarming as it is prescient, Michael Nash’s illuminating documentary examines the facts behind the phrase and exposes what is being called the biggest challenge facing mankind.
Fri, Jun 25th, 8:30pm at California Plaza
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/CC
Jonathan Gold, the Los Angeles-based Pulitzer-prize winning food critic, is well-known for his love of Asian cuisine. He will speak at a screening on 6/19 (4 pm) at the Downtown Independent. The film to be screened is Udon.
Udon (Japan)
Dir. Motohiro Katsuyuki
UDON is a high-spirited comic ode to the power of Japan’s ubiquitous noodle. After failing to make it as a stand-up comedian, a young man drags himself home to Kagawa Prefecture, where his father owns a small udon factory. When an article he writes for a local magazine sets off a nationwide udon craze, he learns there’s more to the simple noodle, and the people who make them, than he ever expected.
Sat, Jun 19th, 4pm, at Downtown Independent
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/UU
Camera, Camera (USA)
Dir. Malcolm Murray
Documentary. A sharp, subtle critique on the nature of tourism and photography, the enigmatic documentary Camera, Camera follows a handful of diverse Westerners traveling through Laos, paying special attention to the snapshots they take along the way.
Sat, 19th, 4pm, at Regal 11; Mon, Jun 21st, 10:15pm, at Regal 9;
& Wed, Jun 23rd, 5pm, at Regal 13
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/CC
Parade (Japan)
Dir. Yukisada Isao
The stylish Parade could easily be mistaken, at first glance, for a Japanese sitcom, as it gathers four twenty-somethings together in a small Tokyo apartment….
Tue, Jun 22nd, 7:30pm, at Regal 10 & Wed, Jun 23rd, 10pm, at Regal 9
http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2010/filmguide/Title/PP
For more information about the film festival, please go to:
http://www.lafilmfest.com/2010/[Edit by="xjiang on Jun 15, 2:06:54 PM"][/Edit]
I teach 7th and 8th grade social studies, but I am also the advisor for the “film club” (basically the students who come watch movies in my room every day at lunch). When I was in the school library picking out movies for the club, one of the members saw “My Neighbor Totoro” and since I remembered it from China class, I picked it for the week.
I actually remember watching this movie when I was younger so I was interested in seeing if there was any difference between the early 1990’s dubbed version and the Disney dubbed version.
I would actually use this in my class as a bridge to making the unknown more familiar. “Japan” may seem too far away, too out of my students’ spheres of influence so they might not care about leaning about it. But using something safe (like a cartoon that just happens to be from Japan and about Japan) is a way to make a connection for them. I would previously view the movie and find 10 or so things that were distinctly Japanese and something that my students might not be familiar with (some examples: not wearing shoes in the house, growing rice, writing in Japanese etc). Then as they were watching they would list all the things they saw that they thought were distinctly Japanese. Afterwards we would have a discussion about them. It is also helpful to refer to the movie when I am teaching about other parts of Japanese history/culture. “Remember how mountainous the land in My Neighbor Totoro was? Well Japan is 80% mountainous and 20% flat land...” I reference a lot of Disney movies/cartoons in my teaching because that is what most of my students are familiar with.
I also would just use this movie as a free day or rainy day movie. Instead of showing some movie that they are all familiar with already, this would be a way to have them experience a little bit of another culture. This may led them into wanting to know more about Japan or some aspect of Japanese life. Like I said, to me this movie is a bridge. Forcing my students to watch a movie that may help teach the history of Japan better would backfire because they wouldn’t pay attention. This movie might get them interested enough that they want to learn more (and then would hopefully stay more focused during my lesson!).
Treeless Mountain
Directed and written by So Yong Kim
Treeless Mountain takes place in Seoul, Korea. It tells the story of two young girls, ages 4 and 6, whose mother abandons them to find her estranged husband. The mothers leaves them with their alcoholic aunt who doesn’t really look after the girls but has the girls fending for themselves. The mom leaves them with a piggy bank and the girls get the notion that their mom will return once the bank is filled. The girls end up selling roasted grasshopper for money and once it is filled, their mom doesn’t return. The mom doesn’t return, she sends a letter to the aunt and the girls are taken to their grandparents who reluctantly keep them. It is very heart breaking
to see the sadness on the girls face. The end.
This movie could be used in the classroom so that students could compare rural and urban Seoul. The movie could also be used to show the inner working of a Korean family. Treeless Mountain is neither a historical nor political film. It would be used purely for entertainment purposes and to show family interactions. I would use it in a social studies class.
In my quest to find good history based movies I found Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre on Netflix. As teachers we need access to easy to reach items, I’m so thankful for Netflix.
The following is the description based from Netflix
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre
(Hei tai yang Nan Jing da tu sha / Men Behind the Sun 4)
1995NR90 minutes
The invading Japanese army's "rape of Nanking" in 1937 China gained global infamy for its horrific brutality as more than 100,000 civilians and fugitive soldiers were indiscriminately killed. This powerful docudrama conveys that ordeal via two brothers who get separated during the upheaval after witnessing their parents' execution. The film is unflinching in its shocking exposé of the occupying forces' atrocities against the vanquished Chinese.
Cast:
Liang Zhang, Yung Pan, Shao-tien Hsiung, Wen-ting Chiang, Wen-tu Pan, Hua Shao
Director:
Tun Fei Mou
Genres:
Foreign, Foreign Dramas, China, Cantonese Language
Language:
Cantonese
This movie is:
Violent
My Film Review
First this movie is violent, gross and gory, but generally a good movie. I would maybe show part of the film only to 11th and 12th graders. I would make sure to select certain scenes such as: images of the important military officers, massive execution pits, and Nanking burning down. The images are very powerful and can help students visualize and connect military figures to the historical events. The other scenes I would include are the original pictures and film that is incorporated into the movie. The director makes a powerful statement by reminding the audience through the use of the actual images that the massacre of Nanking did occur.
Another great aspect about movie is the family that experiences all the horrible incidents of violence. First, I believe Japanese soldiers murder the husband-in-law in front of the children, wife, older brother and grandmother. The other brother is able to escape and hide the younger kids in the rubbles of the burning town. The same older brother is captured and taken to a massive holding room. Slowly small groups of Chinese men are separated and marched to the shooting pits. The question of fighting back arises between those who remain in the holding room, but uncertainty and hope keeps them from taking any action. The older brother asks if he could receive permission to use the restroom, which is granted by the Japanese soldiers. On his way to the restroom, he discovers the shooting pits and ends up being selected to server one of the Japanese generals. As the destruction of Nanking continues the film shows how Chinese women are raped, men are forced to work, how women, children and the elderly are killed and how the city is ransacked and burned down. Also present in the movie is the struggle by foreigners who try to secure and maintain a safe refugee camp. The Japanese soldiers constantly ignore requests by the German man, American man and woman who try to provide safety to the Chinese.
The climax to the story occurs as the two the older brother finds the younger children and return to their home only to discover that the grandmother is the only survivor and is preparing the dead relatives’ bodies to be burned. As the families cry, two Japanese soldiers overhear and begin to attack the family, try to rape the little sister in the struggle the older brother is killed and the grandmother yells and hits the grandson to escape, to the point that she kicks him out the house and closes the doors. The grandmother realizes that the only way she can stop all the suffering and attack the Japanese soldier is by burning her house, granddaughter being raped and herself. The grandmother by taking one last stance—she burns down her home which represents five generations of Chinese culture, the family honor and hopefully the survival of one family member (the little brother that was kicked out from the home).
Throughout the movie historical reference are made such as: the comfort women, Japanese as the powerhouse to “protect” Asia from the British and Americans, opium as means of funding the war, reference to the Samurai and sword, WWII, Hitler, and Jewish concentration camps. Although the movie might be “bloody” the audience does learn and understand the horrors of the Nanking massacre. One imagine that will stay with me is how the Monks were one by one executed—no regard to the goodness, religion, culture and history they represent.
I watched part of Golden Slumber on a flight from Taipei to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the flight was too short to complete the filem. But it had me laughing and in suspense for what was to happen next.
I have added it to my Netflix queue.
Love films about the everyman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I viewed the film, TO LIVE, which followed a Chinese family during a 40 year period of history beginning with the Nationalist and Communist struggle for control of China and concluding with the aftermath of the Mao-inspired Cultural Revolution. I enjoyed the film and was taken in by characters created by author Yu Hua. The suffering experienced by Fugui and his wife was emotionally draining. Having "to bear" the loss of their home, their stature in the community and their children were difficult hurdles to overcome. I was particularly moved by the scene where their daughter died from complications due to childbirth. The inexperienced student doctors were poor substitutes for the seasoned doctors who had been purged during the Cultural Revolution.
I feel this film would be useful in the classroom. It's duration, roughly two and a half hours, might make it difficult to show during these times of state testing and pacing schedules. TO LIVE does give insight into periods such as Nationalist-Communist struggle for control of China, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The students could note the impacts of these events on the Chinese people and get a better understanding of the changes China was going through. The film could provide a starting point for a creative writing assignment where the students continue the story of the surviving characters by writing accounts of their lives in the years after the Cultural Revolution. For example, how the economic reforms of Deng Xiaopeng would have effected the life of "Little Bun." I would recommend this film. Rob
I happened upon this documentary and its attendant curriculum at a Spice professional development and could not be happier. It can easily be used in world and US history classes, depending on how much time you have to cover the Pacific theater. I have used this in world, after covering the first few years of the war in the Pacific, and after island hopping. My students already had done a map activity about Japanese expansion in the Pacific, Pearl Harbor, and read short excerpts about the Baatan March, and from the Flyboys. I also stop the video at a certain point and show clips from the Fog of War about the fire bombing of Tokyo.
Wings of Defeat is told from the perspective of a Japanese-American woman who, in the not too distant past, found out that one of her uncles was trained as a tokkotai pilot. Her goal was to return to Japan to uncover the history of the kamikaze pilots to figure out why her uncle would have joined such a corps of pilots. Moreover, she wanted to know why she only learned about her uncle’s WWII past only recently- why did surviving kamikaze fighters—those that did not actually engage in battle—not want to tell their family members even today that they were a part of the tokkotai?
Along the way, she meets up with a small handful of former tokkotai, many of whom are just hams in front of the camera and keep the students’ attention. She visits former kamikaze training sites, museums, and interviews family members as well. Students clearly see how nationalism enveloped Japanese society, with excellent footage as well from the time period.
I ask students during the film to take notes on evidence (via the attached document) that demonstrates that the Japanese were ready to give up versus the opposite. The question that frames the film revolves around the necessity of the atomic bomb. So in a way, the documentary sums up what they learned before about the Pacific theatre and closes out the war as well.
http://spice.stanford.edu/catalog/teachers_guide_for_wings_of_defeat/
My review is on the Chinese film "To Live" directed by Zhang Yimou. I wasn't sure if I would be able to forget the subtitles and get into the story, but within minutes I wasn't even aware I was reading.
I really enjoyed this film. The characters were believable, and the circumstances they encountered were right out of history and the lectures from our seminar.
Since I teach 4th grade, I'm limited on how much of the film I can use, but there is one part I definitely will. I plan to teach about Chinese culture prior to our unit on the California Gold Rush, which involves the experiences of Chinese immigrants. We will look at language, calligraphy, music and the arts among other things. I will play a clip of the performance of the shadow puppets.
I now look forward to viewing more sub-titled foreign films in the future.
Suzanne Lopez[Edit by="slopez10 on Aug 13, 4:53:40 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="slopez10 on Aug 13, 4:55:24 PM"][/Edit]
Joint Security Area (JSA)
This film concerning the border region between North and South Korea has a variety of items to offer in the classroom. I feel as though there would be two items worth offering to students in a high school classroom: The sense of Korean nationalism, and the portrayal of political differences between the North and the South.
Nationalism
An important item for students to know in the 19th and 20th centuries is the idea of nationalism, or pride in your country. In this film, the differences in politics between North and South Korea are overshadowed by a sense of nationalism among the troops. As soldiers from the North interact and befriend soldiers from the South, the idea of a unified Korea seems to be the goal of both sides. A part in the movies that displayed this idea was when the Northern soldier tells the Southern soldier to get out of the way so they can get to the "Yankees," or Americans. Just as you get the feel for the common goal of unification, political differences get in the way as well.
Portrayal of political differences
I was raised to think that capitalism is good and communism is bad. In the movie, the Northern soldiers had their share of opportunities to defect to the South, but spoke of not wanting to become "Yankee Puppets." Southerners love their freedom, but Northerners seem to be appalled at the idea of being subject to an outside power of the United States.
Don't show the whole thing in class
Despite the story portraying real issues that exist in Korea, I would not recommend this movie for a high school classroom. There is a decent amount of profanity, and if that is not enough, the adult magazine scene may be enough to want to avoid showing this to minors. I am sure that if students are mature enough to handle the language and you can fast forward at the right points, you may have something.
Great Movie!
"To Live" is a great movie to show Chinese history, cultures, and language. In the movie, Fugui's puppet show demonstrates one of Chinese beautiful art. The film covered Chinese Civil War, introducing two political parties, Kuomintang and Communist Party of China. It also shows the trafic ending of landowner's sabotaging the revolution. At the time of the Great Leap Forward, how people gather together all their scrap iron to produce steel and make weapon is prescribed. In the end, it is proved failure by the tragic death of Youqing. The movie continues to move forward to the Cultural Revolution which gives out the idea that traditional cultural elements are counter-revolutionary and how red guard are in charge. I was also moved by the part when Jiazhen finally reconciles with Chunsheng who accidentally killed her son Youqing and encouragingly tells him to keep living. I believe her forgiveness will be a great lesson for my students, too. As to the language part, all the actors speak clearly and choose good words. It should help Mandarin learning students with listening comprehension.
Like Rob, I also chose to review the film "To Live." First of all. it is a wonderful story. I have used it now for about six years in my AP World History course and I have yet to show it when somebody doesn't cry. The problem I have as an AP teacher is that the only time available for showing a feature length film is AFTER the AP exam in May. I make periodic references to it during the year whenever we discuss China during the Civil War/Maoist years but I just can't sacrifice two or three days of class time to show a movie. This year, I have decided to do a monthly film festival in one of our school auditoriums where I plan to show content related movies that my students can earn extra credit for viewing.
The action in the story is set in China from roughly the 1940's through the 1960's. We find the lead male character, Fugui at a gambling house engaging in his addiction, a dice game of some sort. He displays a unique talent of entertaining the folks in the gambling hall with shadow puppets. He returns home, drunk and disorderly, to a disgruntled wife and extended family. His wife, Jiazhen, explains to her husband that she plans to leave him with her two children if he doesn't control his gambling habit. To make a long story short, Fugui chooses gambling over family and eventually loses the family fortune including the house. Jiazhen does in fact leave Fugui and moves herself and her two children in with her parents. Fugui, having lost everything turns to peddling thread from a pull-cart on the streets of China.
Later, Fugui gets conscripted first into the Chinese Nationalist army and later, into the Chinese Communist Party. When the revolution subsides, Fugui returns to his home village where he is reunited with Jiazhen, who by this time has given birth to their third child. The family then experiences a whirlwind of events in Chinese history. Having served in the Communist army, Fugui manages to escape the purging of Nationalists in the early period of Communist rule. Later, the family loses a son during Mao's Great Leap Forward in an industrial accident. This is the first major tragedy that you are exposed to as a viewer and it is a real tear-jerker.
The movie progresses into the 1950's when Mao implements the Great Leap Forward. Fugui and Jiazhen's daughter is ready to give birth and the family is eagerly anticipating their first grandchild. Tragically, since all of the intellectuals have been purged, there is not a competent doctor around to make sure that the birth goes smoothly and Fengxia dies in childbirth after successfully delivering the baby (major tragedy #2).
The concept of the the movie as stated by Jiazhen, "I only want a simple life" comes through brilliantly at the end as the remaining family gathers around the graves of the son and daughter.
As a film, To Live supports the AP curriculum extremely well. My students rarely are exposed to Chinese history at all much less the three decades following the Civil War. It gives the viewer an entertaining window of what life in China must have been like complete with the sorrow and tragedy that often befell China's citizens. This movie receives my most hardy recommendation.
Twilight Samurai Film Review
There are many valuable scenes in Twilight Samurai which will enhance students’ knowledge regarding feudalism in Japan and the historical samurai. Concerning Japanese feudalism and the historical samurai, the movie portrays samurai in a manner we don’t typically associate them with—bean-counter. Seibei is not the stereotypical sword-wielding samurai we have romanticized in western literary forms, but an accountant. He is also a farmer and insect cage maker which supplements his meager 50 roku salary. Seibei possesses one servant and a modest gate, more indicators of his lowered status. He is also heavily indebted because of his wife’s extravagant funeral. Any of these scenes that portray the un-glorious aspects of a Samurai’s life will help our students have a better understanding of what difficulties the historical samurai encountered at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
During the film, "To Live," the film focused on the family of Fugui and Jiaz'hen. It shows their lives through different moments throughout Chinese history. It showed the economic tormoil, politicial upheaval, and transitions during the Mao era. The story of the family was the most engaging aspect of the film. Seeing how being under different challenging circumstances made it more of what truly grabbed my interest and attention.
The film showed the transition into Mao's era. It showed the war and how it affected different types of people. It was really interesting to see how it affected the wife and her subsequent children. It also exemplified the way that specifically women, children, and rural folk were affected. It showed the familial bonds, the idea of roles in life, and the way in which people maintained/reiterated the principles of the government.
Id use this to exemplify the concept of familial bonds and roles in the culture. If at a later date, I teach History in high school, I'd be able to use this film more. I could use it in my present day course assignment of 7th grade English by teaching a thinking map of sequential, cause and effect, or any other thinking map. I think the character development, plot, compare/contrast, hierarchy, government response, or class status discussions would all be great topics to work on in my seventh grade class.
Twilight Samurai
It follows the life of a low-ranking samurai named Seibei Iguchi. Even though he is poor, he manages to lead a content and happy life with his daughters and senile mother. The film is different from many other samurai-themed films in that it concertrates on showing the main character's everyday struggles, instead of fucusing on action-oriented battles.
This upcoming school year I will be teaching the sixth grade at Solano Middle. My class will consist of a mixed race group of kids who come from a poor family. In all likely-hood the students will be African-American, Hispanic, and a few Asians, with low reading levels, who get into trouble and have a low interest in school. I believe that they will see a bit of their own lives in the Iguchi family thus keeping their attention and interest a bit longer than normal. I know that my students will love viewing the movie. I will use the movie to educate my class on various aspects of Japanese culture, geography, vocabulary, art, writing and history. But, more importantly, I can teach the importance of the bond and respect one should have for self and family.
To ensure that I have had success at teaching the students about the subject, I willl hold discussions that will allow me to assess my students' prior knowledge of Japan and the Samurai era. Once the movie has been shown and i have delivered my lesson I will reassess to determine how much knowledge the students have gained.
Twilight Samurai
Wood, smoke, no clocks and the chaotic retreat from what was ethical then.
There was a pace to this movie that was peaceful and slow, not boring, but bucolic, prosaic and truly a proper unhurried glimpse at a time now past. A picture of Japan at the end of an era; en macro, of a Japan before the great technological changes quick to come and a Japan still at a pace of an age soon to rapidly exit. The older samauri’s distraught reality of the future of a potential life for himself beyond the hill, as he knew it might be available and swiftly coming was not a chimera, “if you would just let me go”. And as real, the adhesion to the principals the of the samurai “knight” and the request/order of those in charge was just as real. To me, both of principle characters in the battle were men of there age, caught in an in-between-time. The clumsy, sad and pathetic nature of their obligatory standoff was a ragged edge.
The beautiful scene of conversation while fly-fishing in the world before, without clocks, but of other importances associated with progress, like love and our earthly continuance as whole people with the support of those that care for us always, our closest friends, was my favorite scene.
Kelly[Edit by="khoover on Aug 25, 10:54:56 PM"][/Edit]
After watching this movie and seeing the power of persuasion at its best, I was thinking about how I could possibly use the type of blind allegiance seen in "To Live" to relate to American Literature. The extent to which the children, adults, leaders believed and followed and the mantra of giving to the government because it is for the better of the Party is strikingly similar to that of women being prosecuted and persecuted for behaving wildly and unruly during the Salem Witch Hunt event.
On another note, the way in which Fugui loves his daughter though she is mute is contrary to common belief that Chinese men do not like daughters. It was clearly obvious that Fugui cared deeply for his daughter. This could be used to discern the popular belief of Chinese men and their treatment of their daughters.
Movie Review Jon Morgan-Wilson
Perris High School
USC/China Institute Aug. 2010
To Live / Huozhe (China - original title)
Director Yimou Zhang (b. 14 Nov. 1951)
Release Date: December 1994, USA
Starring: Ge You as Xu Fugui and Gong Li as Xu Jiashen
Film Awards:
1994 Cannes Film Festival
Best Actor – Ge You
Grand Prize of the Jury
Prize of Ecumenical Jury
1995 BAFTA Awards
Best Film not in English Language
If you want to watch a Chinese movie that is a dramatic representation of life in China from the late 1950’s to the early 1970’s this is it! If you want non-stop action with little human emotion, watch “House of Flying Daggers” or “Curse of the Golden Flower” instead!
I enjoyed this film and will use it to enhance my AP World History class because it is the story of a rather common and endearing Chinese man named Fugui (which stands for luck/fortune) who struggles to deal with sometimes funny but more often tragic events that occur in his life during the Chinese Civil War, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The movie provides an insiders view of how things happened from the 50’s to the 70’s in China, a period where in America Elvis was king, the Beatles later arrived and life was great! Director Zhang Yimou was born in 1951 and survived the period himself. When you realize that the film is banned in China, it makes the content even more intriguing!
The movie features two of China’s most famous movie stars, Ge You and Gong Li. Their performances are definitely star quality and after viewing this movie I purchased my own copy and have watched it about once a week. The cinematography is beautiful and gives the viewer a sense of the sights, sounds and lives of the average Chinese person who lived through that tumultuous period in Chinese history.
Advanced students should appreciate this film and as probably one of their first experiences with a foreign film it should keep them captivated! Discussions about the Chinese film industry could also be engaging and provide students with the opportunity to investigate more about the culture of Asia today!
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REVIEW: Memoirs of a Geisha
I originally wanted to look at the film based on Lisa Dalby's booked turned into a movie until I found out it was a made-for-TV movie with Pam Dauber. I wonder if Robin Williams would be helping her into her kimono. I chose instead this movie based on the seminal work that took 15 years of research before being published. Ms. Dalby also consulted on this film as well.I found the film to be typical of most Asian films I've seen with the prolonged close-ups coupled with the great landscape graphics and the orchestrated music which really is not a sound effect, but an instrument that touches us in the affective areas of our brain. Dr. David Rose of Harvard has written extensively of how the music can be changed in a scene and how profound effect that has on our anticipation of what is about to happen. I really liked one of the opening lines with the proper enhancement of sound affects. It may in fact be the first English spoken line in the film"this is a story that should not be told"
I felt persistent pain when the girl sold into the Geishadom persistently and consistently required to state "where is my sister?' In the first half hour of the film I introspectively looked at my own beliefs of what a Geisha is. Prostitute, educated, great social skills, sake drinker...and then she asked" What is a Geisha?" The answer is one of fluctuation dependent on the time, place and history framed in different contexts. The music, costume, stage props, and choreography had me mesmerized. Splendid, rich, and beautiful but unfortunately with a sad number of stories attached.
I teach a transition skills class for students with disabilities. the academic literature is right and abundant with the notion that 9/10 individuals with disabilities will be abused in some way throughout their lifetime.It may be physical, emotional, sexual, for financial. I believe there are great snippets of this film that I could incorporate into lessons that I've already developed regarding abuse and domestic violence.
”24 city” is film by the Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke. According to Richard Brody, The New Yorker, the movie is “an ingenious blend of documentary and fiction, as well as a meditation of history and its effacement in contemporary China”. I cannot agree more with his statement. The decision to demolish Factory 420 which employed 30, 000 workers and build an apartment complex is nothing more but “effacement” of the history of these people living in the city of Chengdu. My recommendation is to watch the movie the same way it has been done -in segments. It is good to watch it at once yet it might be beneficial to return to some scenes and see them again.
The movie “24 city” presents the stories of real and fictional characters and it is a depiction of the transition from communist to pre-capitalist organization of the economy and and respectively the social life of the people. The opening scene presenting the crowd walking to attend the meeting is clear testimony of the idea of the togetherness in communist China and the last scene presenting the young girl Su Na working as shopper -bring expensive products from Hong-Kong for rich people in China supports clearly the idea that the country has moved towards a new economic reality.
There are several possibilities to incorporate clips from the movie while teaching World History-the Modern World. First of all, using the comparative method of teaching the historical phenomena, the scene of Su Na can be used to teach about the transition from communism to capitalism of Eastern European countries and China. The feature movie I have already used to present the changes in the city of Berlin as part of the Democratic Republic of Germany is “Good bye, Lenin”. The main character of the German movie is almost the same age as Su Na and it might be interesting to compare the lives of the two characters through the changes in their countries.
Another option to use the movie as a teaching tool is as part of unit on urban renewal in the post-war society. Factory 420 producing parts for the aviation industry is no longer in need and the decision was made to build apartments. The same situation one can observe in post-World War II United States and Western Europe. There are once again opportunities for students to compare same events in different places.
I have personally enjoyed the stories of Little Flower and Su Na-two women born 25 years apart from each other, different and similar. Little Flower and Su Na depict women able to liberate themselves from the dogmas of the society-the first one not able to marry because of her beauty and the younger one determined to make money and save her mother from the hard working conditions. As a teaching tool the stories of the two women can be used to present the changing role of women in the society.
I highly recommend the movie to everybody interested to understand the transition from communism to capitalism in the late 1980-early 1990s in Eastern Europe and China.
So, this week I watched: "The Way Home" which is a Korean film that came out in 2002. It's about a little boy who is left with his grandmother while his mother looks for work. The boy grew up in the city and must live with his grandmother in the countryside. In the beginning, the kid was a mean, little brat; he was demanding and selfish. Over time, the child mellows out and begins to appreciate his grandmother's patience and good nature. It was a film about growing up. I highly recommend this film. It's not dramatic nor does it beat you over the head with over-the-top emotions; most importantly--it's not Hollywood.
Hi Folks,
The author of a new study about Mulan and representations of Mulan posted the following note to the H-Asia discussion list. I think it may be an interesting resource for those planning to use the film or those who are interested in the history of Mulan and stories about Mulan.
****
From: baerchen dong
_Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States_, Temple UP, 2010 Lan Dong http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2009_reg.html
Mulan, the warrior maiden who performed heroic deeds in battle while dressed as a male soldier, has had many incarnations from her first appearance as a heroine in an ancient Chinese folk ballad. Mulan's story was retold for centuries, extolling the filial virtue of the young woman who placed her father's honor and well-being above her own. With the publication of Maxine Hong Kingston's _The Woman Warrior_ in the late 1970s, Mulan first became familiar to American audiences who were fascinated with the extraordinary Asian American character. Mulan's story was recast yet again in the popular 1998 animated Disney film and its sequel.
In _Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States_, Lan Dong traces the development of this popular icon and asks, "Who is the real Mulan?" and "What does authenticity mean for the critic looking at this story?" Dong charts this character's literary voyage across historical and geographical borders, discussing the narratives and images of Mulan over a long time spanfrom premodern China to the contemporary United States to Mulan's counter-migration back to her homeland.
As Dong shows, Mulan has been reinvented repeatedly in both China and the United States so that her character represents different agendas in each retellingespecially after she reached the western hemisphere. The dutiful and loyal daughter, the fierce, pregnant warrior, and the feisty teenaged heroineeach is Mulan representing an idea about female virtue at a particular time and place.
Reviews
"Dong has convinced me: She is the world's authority on iterations of Mulan. She does a meticulous and scholarly job of finding and outlining versions of Mulan between the 'Ballad,' Kingston's, and Disney's. The chapters are a great pleasure to read and bold in their argumentation . Dong performs brilliant close-readings of texts that clearly benefit from her unique and comprehensive knowledge of Mulan tales. This book makes a unique contribution to Asian, Asian American, and American studies, and it reads like a labor of true scholarly love. Bravo!"
Floyd Cheung, Smith College
"Dong's engagement with probably the most emblematic figure in Asian American literature is timely and admirable. She provides a comprehensive account of the historical presence of the Mulan legend/Ballad in Chinese literature and a compelling discussion of the ways the story has evolved using a wealth of archival data on the legend through the centuries."
Rocio G. Davis, City University of Hong Kong
Lan Dong
English Department
University of Illinois
---------------------------
Note: The Temple UP website lists the book's contents as follows:
Contents, List of Figures, Acknowledgments 1. Prologue 2. Heroic Lineage: Military Women and Lady Knights-Errant in Premodern China 3. From a Courageous Maiden in Legend to a Virtuous Icon in History 4. The White Tiger Mythology: A Woman Warrior's Autobiography 5. One Heroine, Many Characters: Mulan in American Picture Books 6. Of Animation and Mulan's International Fame 7. Epilogue Appendix, Notes, Bibliography, Index
Last night, I watched the film “A State of Mind” and was surprisingly disturbed by it. To give a brief summary in case you are interested in watching it as well, a British film crew follows the daily lives of two young, female rhythmic gymnasts from North Korea in the few months leading up to the Mass Games, which is a HUGE, highly regimented performance put on by the citizens of North Korea in the capital city, Pyongyang, to celebrate national holidays, such as the birthdays of rulers Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, who in the end don’t even show up despite the ridiculous amount of effort put in by the performers.
I expected a film that showed the girls practicing their sport in a gym to get ready for something like the Olympics. I had no idea that they were getting ready for the Mass Games nor did I have any idea what the Mass Games were until I watched the film. Likewise, in retrospect, I had little understanding of how truly brainwashed the North Koreans are to completely worship their leaders, both past and present. The images the filmmakers caught were unexpected. For example, the image of the leader Kim Jong-il is literally everywhere, the streets, the classrooms, each room in the apartments of the people. What I found even more disturbing was that in the capital city, every single kitchen has a radio that pipes in news and music praising the “General”, Kim Jon-il, that cannot be turned off, only turned down. Likewise, the camera showed clips of the ONE TV station the people are allowed to watch which was entirely made up of propaganda promoting the General and the communist party. To make me feel even more uneasy was the sheer amount of hatred the North Koreans have towards the US. The parents talked about how evil America was, the camera revealed propaganda posters around the city showing the US being destroyed or stamped out of existence; in the classroom, the history teachers were going on and on about how the US wanted to destroy North Korea and take away “the laughter of the people.” Even one of the girls the camera crew was following gave a small speech about how the US was wrong and needed to be destroyed. Such images and language worry me because the people of North Korea are so brainwashed and completely cut off from what is happening in the world, even one of the fathers, a college professor unintentionally confessed to not knowing much about world politics. They honestly believe that the US’s ONLY agenda is to completely annihilate North Korea and NOTHING else. I found it saddening that an entire population should be so trusting in what their government says without ever receiving any factual information to support any of their government’s opinions.
While watching these rather uncomfortable images, I started to realize that this film would be the perfect film to show my students when we start reading Animal Farm, which deals with communism, socialism, propaganda, and dictatorships. This film has a plethora of examples to choose from, from the propaganda posters around the city, to the radio show forcibly being played in each kitchen, to the one TV channel spewing even more propaganda, to the brainwashing occurring in the classrooms, to the Mass Games themselves which promotes the group mentality over the individual. This film demonstrates to our students a present-day example of a dictatorship, which I think our students would benefit from seeing. Sometimes, I feel that our students feel too removed from learning about history and they start believing that such events were in the past and will have no effect on their present, which is a falsity. North Korea, as many of us know, is a prominent figure in today’s news and our students should be aware of what is going on in our world today, especially as their lives become more global with the increasing use and prevalence of technology in their daily lives.
I realize my review is a way too long, but I had a lot to say after seeing a film that provoked so much thought 12 hours after watching it.
Film Synopsis:
I watched the 2007 Chinese documentary, Up the Yangtze, by director Yung Chang. The director raises many issues and themes that can easily be incorporated into the classroom and more specifically into the California Social Studies standards. The documentary focuses on the life of protagonist Yu Shui, a young girl from a very poor family. The director also features a young man from a different socio-economic background. The two characters lives intersect as they both take a job on a cruise ship that travels up the Yangtze River. In the backdrop of the film lies the monumental transformation of nature heralded by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam that will radically alter the lives of the people living along the river and shatter the ancient historical importance of the region to the Chinese.
Although Yu Shui wants to continue her education beyond middle school, her parents compel her to work. She reluctantly begins her new job as a dishwasher on the ship. As the daughter of a poor family that subsists by planting vegetables and raising chickens, she is very humble and dutiful. Her parents remind her that it is her obligation to be obedient and parsimonious with her earnings. The parents warn her not to spend her earnings frivolously since she needs to give her salary to her parents. On the other hand, the young man in the film serves as diametrical juxtaposition to Yu Shui. He is an arrogant, self-centered only child who chose to work to become rich. He is confident that he will earn a lot of money because he is “handsome” and speaks “good English.” The director artfully explores various issues including sexism, class contradictions, cultural capital, geography and cultural traditions through these characters and their interaction with each other and foreign Western tourists.
California Standards:
The film is a perfect fit for the following analysis skills that often get overlooked:
STANDARD:
• Students analyze how change happens at different rates at different times; understand that some aspects can change while others remain the same; and understand that change is complicated and affects not only technology and politics but also values and beliefs.
FILM APPLICATION: The two characters reflect the uneven cultural changes in China-Yu Shui is much more traditional whereas the young man is more modern.
STANDARD:
• Students use a variety of maps and documents to interpret human movement, including major patterns of domestic and international migration, changing environmental preferences and settlement patterns, the frictions that develop between population groups, and the diffusion of ideas, technological innovations, and goods.
• Students relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.
• Students show the connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments.
• Students analyze human modifications of landscapes and examine the resulting environmental policy issues.
FILM APPLICATION: The construction of the Three Gorges Dam perfectly captures the aforementioned themes. There are numerous references to the changing landscape and the subsequent massive human migration resulting from the flooding the region will incur as a result of the dam construction. The interviews also feature various Chinese people discussing the personal sacrifices that they must make for “the good of the nation.”
STANDARD:
• 10.10-Students analyze instances of nation-building in the contemporary world in at least two of the following regions or countries: the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and other parts of Latin America, and China.
• 10.11- Students analyze the integration of countries into the world economy and the information, technological, and communications revolutions (e.g., television, satellites, computers).
•
FILM APPLICATION: The film offers an interesting mosaic of the shifting economic, cultural, geographic trends in China. This is a great film to use to explore the consequences of China’s burgeoning ascension as a world power. It is also a great piece to explore its rapport with foreign tourists and the conflation of that interaction.
As I have already mentioned my opinion in some of my other posts, globalization (whatever it means) can be perceived in terms of universals and specifics of different areas, levels, and categories. Human language, for instance, is a perfect example of a universal phenomenon (Are there any societies without a language?) materialized through its specific realizations shaped by the specific realizations of other universal phenomena. Art (and the language of art) is another universal (Are there any human societies without art?) realized through a wide variety of ethnic, religious, historical, geographic, and other specifics. Literature and its 20th century’s in vitro child, the cinema, do not represent any exceptions; they are universal and exist through their specific realizations.
A number of literary works, as well as a number of cinematographic works, can be used as evidence to support this statement. Both literature and cinema deal with human character’s traits, motivations, feelings, passion, struggles, and experience. Both literature and cinema can quite persuasively illustrate the relationship between universality and specificity as global significance in a local context.
As powerful examples can be used A. Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptations Throne of Blood (Macbeth), The Bad Sleep Well (Hamlet), and the most powerful one, Ran (King Lear). Though quite free, the adaptations (especially Ran) confirm the universal significance of values like justice, nobility, loyalty, power, and authority. Both King Lear and Ran (the Japanese King Lear) are set in feudal societies (a universal social system), deal with the same values (mentioned above), and use similar motifs (e.g., madness, betrayal) and symbols (e.g., storms, blindness) for the same purpose – to teach a lesson.
It is true, literature and cinema, like any other kind of art, can be studied for different purposes and one of them is to teach the young generations the value of the universals and the universality of the human values. In such a context A. Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptations go far beyond the limitations of their settings in time and space.
I watched Farewell My Concubine this winter break. I knew Clay had said it was a great movie but more generic. I really enjoyed it from the beginning. I was enthralled with the influence of the opera on chinese society, and especially how it could only be males in the productions. I could use this information, and even some scenes from the movie, to compare with Elizabethan drama with Shakespeare.
While it had a great, sad story, I would most likely use this film for the Mao intolerance of the old regime after 1949. In particular the scene where the two main characters are interrogated for their loyalty to the old regime and their disloyalty to the communist party. I would use this also to show how other groups in history have used similar tactics (Nazis, McCarthy, etc.).
I really liked this film and even if you do not see a direct correlation of how you could use this film in your own class, I recommend watching it!
I have decided to go with my initial idea of using Kurosawa's film Rashomon.
When we teach our unit on persuasive writing, we teach our students how to evaluate an argument, bias and ethos, pathos and logos arguments.
I believe that each of those argument styles as well as bias can be applied to an evaluation of the stories within this film.
The film tells the tale of the rape of a woman and the murder of her samurai husband by a bandit. The story is told in 4 different perspectives. There is the perspective of the bandit, who makes it seem that he boldly committed the crime and murdered the husband; The woman, who strangely enough many believe is manipulating people with her tears; her dead husband; who speaks through a medium and lastly a witness. It's truly interesting because as a viewer, one is trying to figure out which account is the real story of what happened, and what each person had to gain by their story. This would be great to have kids evaluate bias. What does each character stand to gain by their argument? How does each make use of ethos, pathos and logos appeals?
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This movie can be used in the classroom to demonstrate the social issue that Koreans are faced with due to its changing economy in the contemporary world.
please find attached my film review of the Joy Luck Club
This film made in 1998, is set at the end of China's Warring States period in the 3rd Century BCE. It follows the character of Ying Zheng, who would later become known as Qin Shihuangdi, the first emperor of China. The basic plot is Zheng's plan to unify the seven kingdoms of China under one ruler, himself. Following the Mandate of Heaven, he believed that he was the chosen ruler to end the time of war and bring "peace" to China. The viewer gets an inside look at the planning and strategy that went into the attempt at unification. The film is broken into five chapters as the king conquers and unifies China. The underlying story is the realtionship between Zheng and one of his concubines, Lady Zhao. They formulate a plan to set up an assassination that will ultimately fail, to show the invincibility of the king.
It was kind of hard to follow since my knowledge of early Chinese history isn't so great, but the point that I really wanted my class to see really shines through. In the sixth grade they learn about Qin Shihuangdi and his harsh, strict rulership. His rule while effective, showed the consequence of non-benevolent ruler that China wanted. This film allows the students to see that Qin Shihuangdi started out seemingly with good intentions, but as the motivation to fulfill the Mandate of Heaven grew because of resistance to his rule, you can see the change in his character as he becomes more iron-fisted.
This aligns with 7th grade HSS Standard 7.3.6 - Describe the development of the imperial state and the scholar official class. I would use this film to help show my students how power can lead to changes in one’s character, how it can corrupt people, so they can recognize this factor in the downfall of the many Chinese dynasties.
This film tells the story of the early life of Gengis Khan. The obvious use would be to use this film to teach about Genghis Khan and the Mongols, which would be great. I teach U.S. history so I though of anoter way I could use it. The Mongols nomadic lifestlyle was very similar to that of many of the nomadic Native American tribes of the United States. To use this film in my class I would first choose one of the Native American tribes, probably one of the tribes form The Great Plains because it would be easy to fit in to the standards. I would teach my students about their lifestyle. I would then show this film to my students to have them compare and contrast the Native Americans with the Mongols. A further extension of this would be to ask the students why they think their lifestyles were so similar? Was it because the Native Americans originated from Asia? Or could it just be similar geography?
Princess Mononoke (1997) is an animated movie from the master animator Hiyao Miyazaki. At one time it was the most popular movie in Japan, even outdrawing the world wide blockbuster Titanic. Its themes of environmentalism and fantasy in a historical setting is thought provoking and challenging. It really shows the Japanese reverence for nature and the struggle that humans have in balancing exploitation and survival. I use this film in World Geography as students study the use of the world’s resources to create their standard of living and the effect that it has on the world’s environment.
Set in feudal Japan, it follows the story of Ashitaka, a prince of a people who shun the outside world. Their hidden existence is threatened when a giant boar, attacks the village. Ashitaka defeats the boar but is wounded giving him a demon arm, which gives him super-strength but will eventually kill him. He discovers an iron ball wounded the giant boar and drove it mad. Ashitaka leaves the village to discover the source of the iron. His quest takes him to the west forest defended by forest gods in the form of giant animals. There he meets the wolf girl San who is called Princess Mononoke by the villagers of Irontown, who are cutting down the forest as they produce iron. The ultimate battle between the humans and the forest is exemplified by the Forest Spirit who is hunted by the Japanese emperor who seeks eternal life. This is not a simple movie and may require multiple viewings to understand all of the issues raised by the intricate plot.
This is a beautiful movie. The artwork is awe-inspiring, a blend of hand drawn cell animation with a touch of computer aided animation. The forest comes alive with color and detail. It can be enjoyed as an adventure action story or an environmental fable. This is not a children’s story; there are scenes of violence and death, and complicated themes that should challenge how one views nature and people’s place within it.
The video I viewed was an A&E award-winning series “Biography” DVD. The title is “Confucius: Words of Wisdom”. Its copyright date is 1996 and it is approx. 50 minutes in length, which would work well for an entire period or split into to 30 minute viewings.
The documentary explores the life and times of Confucius – from childhood to his adult career and death. It also highlights his achievements, particularly how his philosophy has influenced the world today – both inside and outside of China. One interesting aspect is that there is an interview with someone who claims to be a direct descendant of Confucius.
The other highlight is that the DVD comes with a study guide that includes a list of vocabulary words and discussion questions. I provided my students with a list of the questions prior to viewing the film and they were able to answer the questions as they watched. This helped to keep them engaged. There are also a few extra credit ideas, such as writing a comparative essay or completing a poster project.
I enjoyed this film, but I also enjoy a lot of documentaries from A&E. What really mattered was that my seventh grade English students were engaged and interested.
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI FILM REVIEW: I just had the pleasure of watching THE LAST SAMURAI which was recommended during our Session 5 or 6 on Japan. I highly recommend this movie as it is very touching as well as educational. The story is about a man, recently widowed and his two daughters. The film is told from the daughter's point of view. There is ACTION, ROMANCE, and pretty cinematography. You can order it from NETFLIX. I intend to show sections of it to my class. GREAT FILM!
edited by mfraser on 4/25/2011
As I was describing how much I enjoyed watching The Twilight Samurai, I mistakenly referred to it as The Last Samurai. When I went to edit my post, it took me in and then away and I was not able to correct it. So, The Twilight Samurai is much better than The Last Samurai..or so I hear as I did not see The Last Samurai.
Dear Ishifflett (I hope I wrote your Name correctly);
I am very familiar with the film Asoka and I would definitely recommend showing it to students. In fact, I have shown rated "R" films to my students in the past after previously notifiying parents about the content of the film and how it related to the concepts covered in class and after getting a written consent. LAUSD actually has a form available for such films, perhaps your district does as well. In any event, please keep in mind that the rating systems in Asia are very different to those in the U.S. so a rated "R" Asian film is much cleaner than a "PG13" film in the U.S. so don't be discouraged by that factor alone. As I mentioned before, I've shown relatively graphic films to my students and they've responded with impressive maturity because I also prepared for the same through the various lessons and classroom discussions we had on social issues that are often times difficult to address in the first place. Asoka is definitely a must show film and I actually thank you very much for reminding me about it. I watched it a while ago and unfortunately didn't think about it when I covered Buddhism with my class, otherwise it would have complimented the lessons quite well.
Check out this powerpoint: Qinghai-TibetRailway000(R).pps Short powerpoint explaining the engineering feats of connecting Tibet to China's railway system. Very informative, amazing, and inspiring!
Qinghai-TibetRailway000(R).pps (2993KB)
Well: unfortunately, I don't know how I can ADD this attachment..it is a powerpoint. Can anybody tell me?
This powerpoint is making the rounds, sometimes with and sometimes without the opening title slides, etc. I've been sent versions by over five people. Some of the photos are stunning. One of those images, though, has also come in for considerable discussion. A 2008 Wall Street Journal blog entry discussed it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120363429707884255.html
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"Earlier this week, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, issued an unusual public apology for publishing a doctored photograph of Tibetan wildlife frolicking near a high-speed train. "The deception -- uncovered by Chinese Internet users who sniffed out a Photoshop scam in the award-winning picture -- has brought on a big debate about media ethics, China's troubled relationship with Tibet, and how pregnant antelope react to noise."
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Here is a China Daily article about the photo: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-02/19/content_6464965.htm
The ppt has also stimulated considerable debate over the ecological impact on the plateau, on the economic consequences of opening the region to greater investment and tourism, and more. Many commentators have taken the presentation to task for being an uncritical endorsement of Chinese government development efforts in the region.
The ppt can be downloaded here: http://www.simsig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_agora&task=topic&id=2942&Itemid=54
They was like dream in DVD.
hello
I'm truly delighted by your film review because it provides me an awesome resource to use with my 10th graders next time I teach Samurai Shortstop. Like the film you describe, this book addresses the conflict between tradition and modernity. This is the story of a young man who is torn between following the Samurai tradition his father, the last samurai, has passed on to him and his love of baseball, a foreign traditon. I think the two would work wonders and would definitely help put the story into context for students who lack exposure to Japanese culture. Thanks much!!
M.C. Shah, Maywood Academy High School.
The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, is an interesting movie which portrays Japanese history and culture during the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century. As a former American army captain, Nathan Algren is hired by a Japanese businessman, Omura, to train and westernize the Japanese army in order to eliminate the Samurai, which represent the old traditions of war. With his traumatic war experiences and a twist of fate, Algren becomes a captive of a Samurai, Katsumoto. From an enemy to an ally to Katsumoto, Algren transforms his sense of personal dignity, loyalty, and spirit.
It is R rated movie, so selective view is advised when you show it to the class. Students will learn that although change is inevitable in a moving society, one must also remember the origins, respect its culture, and value its traditions.
The movie “Let the Bullet Fly” is a good one conducted by Jiang Wen, a famous movie star in China. It tells a story about a person who buys positions from the government for himself. Once he gets the position, he collects money from people to make himself rich. The background of this movie was back to the beginning of last century, but after I watched this movie, I can see the shadow of this kind of thing that is happening in the present society in China. I realize the brave producer of the movie just want to reflect the bankruptcy in China at present. People now use their money to buy the position they want, such as the director of a department, principle of a school, the president of a college. After they got the position, they can make more money than they used for the position by either abuse their power or collect money of big gift from people working under their leadership. That is really something bad, jet people just do it for the benefit of themselves.
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