Chicagoist: CIFF: 24 City, Of Time and the City

Ward Up

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:34:42 -0600

No, I did not see it but I might try to go on the 23rd. By the way, Joan Chen, the actress that appears in "24 City" was also in "Lust, Caution." "Lust, Caution" (those words were picked because they make sort of a pun in Mandarin)is a perfect movie for World War II history buffs, showing cloak-and-dagger stuff in China under the Japanese occupation.

Rob Christopher

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:18:34 -0600

You definitely have a point. In my view Jia Zhang-ke did as much as he could to show the doublethink of both the old and the new ways ... within his restrictions. By the way, did you see it?

Ward Up

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:10:58 -0600

"....Director Jia Zhang-ke's point is clear: the "comradeship and solidarity" of the old ways are being replaced by the selfish and materialistic ways of the new generation....' This is the very familiar Orwellian newspeak of the Chinese government. I've been to China for work several times. The fat cats in the Communist Party want it both ways, reaping the benefits of capitalism while touting the old lingo of Marxism. The sickening part is that the Party members often ohamstring capitalism with dazzling amounts of nepotism. They will never admit that Mao and billions of followers were wrong In fact, to make this documentary, the filmakers had to stick that "selfish materialistic..." bullsh*t in there or they would have no careers.