John Woo's "The Crossing" is like Communist propaganda

Arts & Sciences Arts & Entertainment
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The mirses and I went to see The Crossing (太平輪：亂世浮生) yesterday and well, I can’t remember the last time I was left this unhappy with a movie. Spoilers follow, but here’s the TL;DR version – very depressing and really heavy-handed with its pro-communist, anti-KMT message.

OK so here are the spoilers. For a film about a boat sinking, the boat doesn’t sink, not until the credits are rolling and then it’s only as a preview for the second part of the two-part film. Prior to that, we have an abundance of mildly interesting but rather uninspired subplots of a wealthy Shanghai socialite and her KMT army husband; a Taiwanese doctor and his lost Japanese love who was forced to return to Japan after the war; and a poor Shanghai woman who turns to prostitution to buy a ticket to Taiwan, where she’s convinced her lover in the army has ended up. Most characters survive, but there’s a difference between surviving and living. Nobody is happy at the end of the first act, and I expect they probably go on to drown in the second act, set to be released in May.

At least half the movie is battle. It starts with Chinese forces winning a big victory against Japanese invaders (did that really ever happen?) and eventually moves onto the civil war, where the KMT troops are a bunch of cowards starving to death and the communists are happy, militarily superior, and have the support of the people of the countryside. “I’m giving you the option to stand with the people,” the communist general actually says to a KMT general hoping for him to defect. There are also copious scenes of ROC police shooting student protestors under a giant portrait of Chiang Kai-shek; ROC police beating dozens of prostitutes; and of course the order that ultimately damns our hero’s unit when they may have had a shot at success is signed personally by the great Generalissimo himself.

There are some interesting dynamics at play; this is a time after 228 (but the movie doesn’t touch on that) that shows us the brief period where people could move relatively freely between Taiwan and China, and when the future seemed more promising for both sides. I had really hoped for an unbiased portrayal of history and was very disappointed to see what looks like a film that portrays the KMT as pure evil, the communists as pure good, and Taiwan and China as firmly being two parts of a whole inseparable even by the upset of civil war.

I must say I cannot recommend this film. If you’re interested in it for 金城武 (Kaneshiro Takeshi), you’ll be sad to learn he’s probably in less than half of it, though it seems likely he’ll have a bigger part in the second film.

As an aside, he speaks Taigi in several scenes. I asked my wife how good his Taiwanese is (it’s reputed for being quite bad) and her response was simply: “nice to listen to!” :s

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[quote=“Hokwongwei”]
At least half the movie is battle. It starts with Chinese forces winning a big victory against Japanese invaders (did that really ever happen?)[/quote]

If the definition of winning is you coming out with less people dead than the other side, then no, that did not happen. If the definition is achieving the goal of temporarily have enemy driven from a certain position, then it happened a couple of times. However, those are victory for skirmishes or battles, rather than for an entire campaign.

For example, during the proclaimed Taierzhuang 台兒莊 “victory”, KMT lost (KIA and injured or missing) 30,000, and Japan only lost 11,000. The battle itself is only a part of a large Xuzhou campaign. After the said “victory”, leaders of KMT forces in Taierzhuang ended up being surrounded by the Japanese forces and were forced to break through the barricades leaving Xuzhou behind undefended. In the process of their frantic escape, they decided to blow up the yellow river levies to flood the entire area to slow the Japanese down, killing and starving millions in the aftermath. If that’s a victory, it’s a very bitter one.

[quote=“Hokwongwei”]
As an aside, he speaks Taigi in several scenes. I asked my wife how good his Taiwanese is (it’s reputed for being quite bad) and her response was simply: “nice to listen to!” :s[/quote]

I haven’t seen the film, however people on PTT said it’s better to keep his dialogue just in Japanese and Mandarin…

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Yep, it does have many scenes in which the general population is shown more loyal/inclined to like the reds than the blues. I do give Woo the benefit of the doubt, though, that this will change rapidly. One of the characters -the traitor- foreshadows it when he saysI really believe they are good people! If you have seen other Woo’s films, you will understand this reference.

Some parts, loosely based on history, are like as Hansioux says, just cannot be sugar coated. The repression did result in revolts, and the deaths of the half million soldiers in one sitting, of course that will have an effect.

The problem is this film being marketed as “Chinese Titanic”. From coworkers and classmates comments, they expect some boring romantic film… and are waiting for the pirated versions that I am sure are already on the local net.

Same with lots of TK expectations. In the theater I went to, they played the new Citizen ad and then the EVA ad based on The Crossing, because it is TK who sells the movie in Taiwan, even though it has many Taiwan locations and small part Taiwanese actors. But this being an ensemble piece, it seems logical not to have a star vehicle a la Tom Cruise. Of course, many people here would go to see the movie because of him, and he would sell in Japan too if they opened there. Taiwanese is his mother tongue, but the lines he has there are very few to even determine -and we had super Dolby. Look for other movies or interviews. However, he also suffers from the same discrimination of otherness we atoahs complain so much -should have seen the way the MC addressed him at the red carpet event. So no matter how good his Taiwanese may be, by certain people, he is always perceived as “out” just as we would be even with perfect Taiwanese. No wonder he loses his patience with local rags.

Did your version had English subtitles?

Content wise, this is a film made in China. They are currently in a McCarthy-like era, with many artists being allegedly blacklisted, or at least, threatened with blacklisting. Moreover, there is the different cultural perspectives: for example, foreigners have complained about the "pro-unification: Yang Yimou already, while the Chinese complained his style degraded to please the foreigners. can’t get out of a certain mind mold.

Honestly, I find stuff like New generations and American dreams in China more problematic.

Another problem is the low expectations for the movie, translated in not bringing the 3D version. And even worse: the release of the next part has been pushed to May 2015. Similar for Red Cliff, but still…

The KMT does have some military victories that are worthy of being portrayed on the big screen, and certainly, there are many positive aspects that could be rescued about their time on the Mainland. However, in terms of the locality, of the portrayal of the time/space in the film, maybe I’d say the portrayal is still “not as bad” .

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I don’t remember because I was reading the Chinese. But it must have had English subtitles because otherwise I wouldn’t know that 雅子 is Masako in Japanese.

I presume you mean Zhang Yimou? BTW, Zhang Ziyi’s name was misspelled in the opening credits! It says “Zuang Ziyi.” And Tong Daiwei’s last name was spelled “Tone.”

As for the portrayal of the KMT and CKS, I’m find with them bringing out the dark past. In fact, I think it’s great. The problem is that it only criticizes the ROC/KMT and makes the communists look entirely like pure, honest heroes which they most certainly were not. It’s pure propaganda that fits very squarely with the CPC’s narrative of post WWII history.

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BTW, I had the impression that there were a couple of historical inaccuracies. Let’s wait until more people see it and comment.

Hong, you should know my pinyin sucks.

Yep, propaganda. Lemme lend you some early Taiwanese films… just kidding, those are only for language masochists. But seriously, in the current environment, this kind of portrayal is mild. I watch a lot of Chinese language films, and most follow the line of “conform or won’t get past censorship”. And we are not talking distribution here, just mere “won’t see a frame of film in front of a camera”.

But I think Woo will try to balance the score, as he has done before. Tricky, but plausible.

EDIT:
To be honest, Icon is jaded to propaganda. I expect it like product placement in films.

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as for Takeshi’s Taigi, since I’ve not heard his dialogues from the movie, I can’t judge… so I present this…

I have to say, not bad.

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[quote=“Icon”] Let’s wait until more people see it and comment.
[/quote]
After Hok’s scathing review, I doubt many people will go see it. I was mildly interested when I saw the preview, because I like war movies. But after reading the above, I think I’ll go see Fury instead.

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It is no more obvious than a Pepsi can. It is not the main part of the story, or rather, stories. Ode to the Red Book it is not. But anyways, the movie will trickle by the usual media. Hope you will catch it eventually.

EDIT:
BTW, those were not prostitutes, but “dance hall girls”. Technically speaking, a bit different -dance with clients, drink, conversation. Basically, nowadays KTV girls. Used to be icons of 40s Shanghai. And yes, there is a difference between getting a sugar daddy or patron and being a prostitute. Subtle, but the price is different. :smiley: That is why it is such a disaster for that character when she can’t get that job… and has to resort to streetwalking.

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Bumped into the Taipei Times review. Sharing it if anyone interested:

[quote]Internationally renowned for his action film series A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) and Hollywood action flicks Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, Hong Kong director John Woo (吳宇森) has, as of late, developed an interest in historical epics. Five years after his diptych Red Cliff (赤壁), which centers on the legendary Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之戰) during China’s Three Kingdoms period, Woo returns to the big screen with The Crossing I (太平輪：亂世浮生), a highly anticipated story about the modern history of Taiwan and China.
…
The Crossing I is an ambitious project that weaves together three parallel and at times intersecting storylines to tell an epic tale of love and hope in a turbulent age. Supported by a top-notch technical crew, the film’s graphic battle sequences eloquently depicts the cruelty of war and serve as a counterpoint to the characters’ longing for peace. Warm and light-hearted humor balances the action and heavy drama. One fine example involves Tong’s characters and a solider from the enemy putting their guns down to share a meal.
…
As Woo’s oeuvre has shown, the director is adept at telling stories about brotherhood. But when it comes to romance, he’s a little out of his comfort zone. Co-written by Wang Hui-ling (王蕙玲) — Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍) and Lust, Caution (色戒) — the story is noticeably uneven in its depiction of the three couples. The cliche-filled dialogue between the general and the beautiful socialite does little justice to its powerful theme; it is equally embarrassing to see the 41-year-old Kaneshiro playing a teenager bantering with his first love in the film’s flashbacks.

It will be interesting to see if director Woo has something more substantial to say about love and the political consequences of the historical events in the diptych’s second part, scheduled for release in Asia in May of next year.
[/quote]
taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar … 03606001/1

From Variety, that also mentions the political angle, but is more charitable

[quote]The first of a two-part disaster epic depicting a 1949 shipwreck that’s been nicknamed “the Chinese Titanic,” John Woo’s “The Crossing: Part 1″ is a handsomely mounted but tortuous two-hour buildup to the main act. Crisscrossed with romantic trials and survival stories during the Chinese Civil War, the film holds considerable cultural interest, yet its plotlines are too dispersed to achieve either historical insight or human depth, losing emotional traction in favor of bombastic war spectacle. Woo’s ambitions of sculpting an imposing visual monument to the Chinese diaspora will presumably be realized in “Part 2″; still, given its starry international cast and grandiose scale, this 3D-converted blockbuster can dock safely in Asian markets. Auds should also duly come onboard for the second installment when it bows in May 2015.
…
The idea of “The Crossing” was conceived by Taiwanese scribe Wang Hui-ling, who allegedly envisioned an omnibus film charting the tragic loves of three couples on board the Taiping. While her most high-profile works (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Lust, Caution”) were adapted from literary masterpieces, this is an entirely original creation, and her control over the material is shakier. (She shares scripting credit with Su Chao-pin, Chen Ching-hui and Woo.) The project also sees Woo stepping out of his action-oriented comfort zone to depict drama and romance, and while the helmer does a solid job of keeping so many tumultuous scenes running at a smooth clip, the end of “Part 1″ does not take one’s breath away as the midway cliffhanger of “Red Cliff” managed to do.

In contrast with the Titanic, which sailed for four days before hitting the iceberg, Taiping’s final voyage lasted just a few hours. This presents a challenge in terms of weaving the protagonists’ backstories into such a short time span, as the use of multiple or extended flashbacks could have seriously diluted tension. The film’s solution is to use “Part 1″ to fully acquaint audiences with all key figures before they converge in “Part 2,” and although the plot contrivances are often too banal to make audiences feel deeply for the characters, the tight cutting by Woo’s longtime editor, David Wu, at least keeps all the complicated strands distinct.

The film kicks off in Hollywood epic fashion with a bloody clash between Nationalist (KMT) troops and the Japanese Imperial Army on China’s eastern front in 1945. Three men converge at the same point, but they remain unaware of how their paths will cross significantly in future.
…
As these romances unfold, Woo attempts to show the connections between individual fortunes and the nation’s, with uneven results. One of the screenplay’s chief structural flaws is that characters are kept apart for too long, forcing them to express their feelings through letters and diaries; the voiceover readings, while true to the era, have a ponderous feel, and can’t beat the immediacy or intensity of face-to-face encounters.
…
The later part of the story shifts gears to recount the Huaihai War, the second of three decisive military campaigns that resulted in the KMT’s crushing defeat. It’s quite radical for a mainland film not to demonize any Nationalist officer as corrupt and egregious, and Lei’s upright, patriotic image is a rarity. Nevertheless, the film’s angle remains a propagandistic one, accentuating the grueling struggles and demoralization of Yan’s regiment in order to expose the selfishness and incompetence of the top KMT brass.
…[/quote]
variety.com/2014/film/reviews/fi … 201367911/

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It’s just as in-your-face as the huge number of American flags in a Transformers movie – which even as an American I find totally tasteless. I expect the Taiping will sink into the sea because some corrupt KMTer is at the helm.

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Not directly related to this, but I’m working on the musical score for a documentary film about the Wufeng Lin family from 1895 through Lin Xiantang’s (林獻堂) death in 1956. It covers the Japanese occupation, arrival of the ROC, 228, etc. from the point of view of prominent members of the Lin family. Should be interesting for all the history buffs here. Will be released probably in March or April and should have a limited release in most of the big theaters. It’s actually the second of two films on the Wufeng Lin family produced by Li Gang (Ang Lee’s younger brother). The first one covered from the time their ancestor’s arrived in Taiwan (Ming Dynasty) through the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. Very interesting stuff.

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is it related to this one?

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[quote=“hansioux”]is it related to this one?


[/quote]

Yep, that was the first one that covered everything up to 1895. The second one picks up where that left off. I (well, my partner and I) did the score for the first one as well.

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that music reminds me of this:

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Here’s a rather detailed look at the first film with some extended clips for anyone interested:

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OK, I’m interested. where can I see the first one? Or are they being released together?

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The first one had a limited theater release last year. The second one will have a similar release in April (at least that’s the current timetable). They will both be released as a set on DVD/Blu-ray sometime after that. Not sure when.

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And the second part has been delayed in post production, no certain date when it will open in Taiwan, just a vague push from May to June/July. Meanwhile, the international version, both in 2D and 3D, will be released after the second part, as a condensed form, just like Red Cliff - with its corresponding caveat emptor. Let’s see how it goes.