Watches
October 20, 2017
As a Westerner, you'll be forced to make a choice that will greatly impact the way you experience this film. See this as a historical document and it's probably one of the more repulsive films out there, see it as a random war epic and it's a lovely spectacle. I decided on option 2, but your mileage may vary. If you hate Chinese propaganda, stay far away from this one.
Mao Zedong as the savior of the revolution. The CCP is facing some tough uphill battles, then Mao has the bright idea to involve the farmers in his political battle. A neglected group that is pretty sizeable, which means the potential is there to flip the balance. With the new manpower, they try to get a hold of Nanchang, a strategic stronghold.
I'm usually not a big fan of war cinema, but I was properly impressed by Lau's direction. Epic in scope, sporting superb cinematography and with some very impressive settings to boot, there's lots to love here. The story is cheesy though and it's obvious that the larger-than-life narrative isn't a proper representation of what actually happened all those years ago. I liked it as a generic war flick and just ignored the rest.