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Reviews
Bai She: Yuan qi (2019)
A great incarnation of a ancient tell, despite a few short comings.
I have read a lot reviews about this movie. And when it comes to Chinese movies, reviews more or less come with political bias. And I hope, my review can clear things up a bit.
This is a well animated movie, for average movie goers the animation is more than acceptable. But does the animation reaches 2019 Pixar standards? No, the expression on the character is limited, specially on Ah Xuan. The skin and body lack elasticity and weight, and the cloth dynamic is weird. What stands out technical wise, is the background and sets. They are painstaking made to resemble traditional Chinese ink paintings. The animator took the full liberty of making the fight scene, they are a visual spectacle. Super-nature powers, light beams, mythical creatures fills up the screen at times, which may not be everybody's cup of tea. But sure is entertaining.
There are complains about the storytelling element. For the Chinese, the story of white snake is one of the most well known fiery tells. It is like the story of Santa Claus or tooth fiery for the westerner. For that reason, the creators did skip the world building part, expecting the viewers can fill in the rest. It is also true that the tempo is sometimes slow for this movie, but after all, the white snake story was always a love story and not a action film.
And the biggest controversy of this film, the sexual under tone. This movie features an animated kiss scene, sexy villain and implied sex scene. Some people are offended because they think CG animation are for Children. But this is a love story, more importantly in the fiery tell white snake was pregnant with Xu Xian's child. How do they have a Child without having sex? And I don't want to Discourage anyone, the sexual tone is a very minor part of this story. It kind of feel like 2D Disney style sexual tone.
In conclusion, great movie with a non-western story. I see you are a man of culture as well.
American Factory (2019)
Some Extra thoughts about this Documentary
As someone who grow up in China, and have working experience in a Chinese factory. I think I can provide some extra Chinese prospective to this Movie.
The factory workers in the movie is no longer the average Chinese experience. Chinese middle class now bigger than the entire population of US, and you cannot became a middle class just by doing a entrance level job in a factory.
Factory workers can became middle class just like anywhere else in the world, one needs to out work or out perform their piers. With promotion, comes easier work, more flexible timetable and better pay.
Second, Chinese put all their faith on the next generation. In China, if you don't want to just be a factory worker, you need to study hard, get into a good University and study a promising major.
One of the bigger difference I felt in America, is that, people always talking about what a great time they had in College. Which is weird, because there is already a lot of job hunter pressure when you study in a Chinese University.
Third, there is a strong start-up culture in China. Besides Silicon Valley, Americans seems to forget they can just start their own business. In the documentary, one pro-union speaker says his daughter is making more money than him doing nails. If he really thinks nail salon is an easy job and he would be better at it, why doesn't he just open his own nail salon. That is what a under-appreciated Chinese would do.
In conclusion, what American workers are experiencing is nothing more than just good old capitalism. China did once believed in Socialism and Communism, but every western country seems to reject the idea and their people believe they worth more than what the society can measure. So today, when China piratically abandoned Communism, western country needs to step up their Capitalism, or else they will loss the game. The game of prosperity. (And this is not a threat. From the bottom of my heart, I hopes Americans can continue to be rich and free. After all, I am living in America now)