Film Review: Not One Less, directed by Zhang Yimou

By chensiyuan (chensiyuan) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) via Wikimedia Commons

Not One Less. Directed by Zhang Yimou, Columbia Tristar, 1999.

Zhang Yimou creates a film showcasing the society Communist China  developed during its career in power. In Not One Less, we are introduced to 13-year-old Wei Minzhi, who must substitute teach in a poor village when Teacher Gao is called to care for his mother. What follows is the challenges she faces, both in teaching students not much younger than her, and the journey she must make to find a student who has gone to the city in search of work.

Many commentaries are critical of its position in Chinese film, claiming it was made as a propaganda piece for the Communist government. What seems to be amiss here is the evidence against such claims, namely Zhang Yimou's many other films. Many, including To Live, contain many symbolic criticisms aimed at the Communist government, either during the Maoist Period or the Reform Period. Furthermore, a number of interviews with Zhang make several of his opinions of government policy known to the reader. It seems a mistake to think a film's meaning can be discerned from a superficial viewing.

Education plays an important role in the film, emphasizing the plight of the countryside's children, as well as acting as a criticism of the PRC's handling of rural reform. The film's focus on chalk shortages (representative of the wider lack of educational resources) as well as the fact that Teacher Gao has not been paid a salary for six months of working reflect the shortcomings of the government's reform plans. The cause of this, Xaoling's article claims, is the government policy where individual villages are responsible for funding the nine years of compulsory education for the area's children. In areas where money is already very scarce, there is little which can be done to raise funding for the schools. Symbols of this failed reform include the sign stating “Education is the Foundation for the Country's Prosperity,” which is plastered on a broken down wall, as well as the nature of the schoolhouse, which has no clock, and must rely on limited resources to survive.

Zhang represents the plight of the children by explaining the song Wei sings to Teacher Gao, then to her students. Though she forgets the official lyrics, her substituted lyrics hold important commentaries on the nature of the State's relationship to its children. Xiaoling comments that the official lyrics represent the State as the sunshine to the nation's “flowers”, or children. Wei Minzhi can never remember the correct words, which Xiaoling believes to represent Zhang's belief that the children would not see themselves as being cultivated by the State when it seems to have abandoned them to their fate.

The “happy ending” of the film shows the TV crew and cargo trucks driving out to the village, carrying loads of donations made by the city dwellers. As Xiaoling says, many viewers may say it's too Hollywood to be taken seriously. On the contrary, this reading doesn't reflect the true ramifications of such donations. What do the students do after the funding and donations run out? Will the city people still remember them, or will they believe they've done their good deed for the year? Upon closer inspection, the film actually is giving a critical commentary on the government, as well as the prosperous people's lack of awareness of the countryside conditions. In some ways it's like applying a bandage to a shotgun wound, treating the symptoms without addressing the main cause. We are left with a few statistics, claiming the reforms and charity have allowed 15% of students to return to school in the countryside. Xiaoling reflects on this, wondering what will happen to the other 85% of the students who won't return. Zhang wants the people to know that there is still much work to be done, most importantly in the way government reforms are carried out in the villages and the countryside.

National responses to the film are surprisingly mixed. What is most troubling is the rather superficial review given by a representative of Beijing Normal University, who claims the film “lacks a strong plot” and laments at how the ending's “happy laughter conceals harsh reality.” These comments reflect the divide between urban dwellers and the plight of the countryside. Furthermore, it represents the lack of understanding, in that the reader claims the superficiality of the ending, which seems to be Zhang's exact point. Other comments, however, reflect the awareness of the situation in the countryside, as represented in Zhang's film, however it also shows the lack of action of the readers. Thought many make the effort to write commentaries on the film, one reviewer tells how they should have written a report after seeing the poverty in the village. The instances of “should have” or “will next time” likely expands beyond one commentator's words. It is the hope that this film will open the audiences eyes to not only the plight of the poor, but also the need for critical government review.

Works cited: 

Xiaoling Zhang, “A Film Director's Criticism of Reform China: A Close Reading of Zhang Yimou's 'Not One Less',” China Information XV.2 (2001):

Film Review: "House of Saddam," directed by Alex Holmes and Jim O'Hanlon, 2014.

House of Saddam. Directed by Alex Holmes and Jim O'Hanlon, writer, Stephen Butchard, featuring Igal Naor, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Amr Waked (HBO Films in association with BBC, HBO, 2008), Streaming (Amazon Prime Streaming, 2014).


House of Saddam provides the viewer a docudrama with a healthy mix of suspense, action, and emotional turmoil that surrounds the near 25 year regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The total series is split into four parts, each focusing on a specific year in his life.

Part One: 1979 showcases his coup over then Iraqi President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and his rise to president.

Part Two: 1988-1991 reveals a few of the origins of Iraq's war with Iran, as well as Saddam's eldest son Uday's increasingly erratic behavior as the son of a dictator. We also see Saddam meet personally with US ambassador April Glaspie, whose carefully diplomatic statement of "no opinion" on the regional conflicts between Kuwait and Iraq provides Saddam with an opening to initiate hot war for economic disagreements.

Part Three: 1995 sees Iraq's economy in disarray, between the disastrous Gulf War and UN sanctions, as Saddam's attention focuses on establishing a familial tie to the Prophet Muhammad. Even as his eldest son's behavior becomes increasingly troubled and UN Inspector Rolf Ekeus takes a hardline approach to his work, Saddam's own inner circle of trusted advisors begin questioning his ability to lead.

Part Four: 2003 Charts the US-led invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush. Saddam's hold on power continues to decline as the economy and military abilities of Iraq cripple under the superior resources of the coalition forces. Saddam is forced to go into hiding as his sons face an American siege. The film ends with Saddam's 2006 trial for crimes against humanity.

Overall, this series of films provides a satisfying look into the Machiavellian ideology Saddam Hussein brings with him as he gains and holds power in Iraq. Any film with a controversial figure as its subject demands a team that carefully balances the political with the economic and the human. These films do not adequately showcase the political interplay between the international community and Saddam's Iraq, particularly the various cooperative agreements between the West and Iraq when it suited the former. The human aspects of the regime are displayed well, however it might have strengthened the film to explore what little is known of Saddam's upbringing.

Saddam's adherence to gaining and maintaining power through intimidation and fear shows what happens under such regimes. The sheer ignorance of what his people experienced under his control, either through blindness or a lack of care, is displayed alongside his other brutal ways of maintaining power. This film is a testiment to the lead actor Yigal Naor's abilities, as he captures the dictator's mannerisms and emotional displays well. The supporting cast also provide a strong accompaniment to bringing this interesting story to life.

Historians will cringe at the lack of depth, but viewers would be well suited to see this series as a new glimpse into the lives of a thoroughly propagandized figure. The team focused on research and accuracy to the best degree they could. Alex Holmes states:

"We set out to talk to as many people as we could who had known Saddam first-hand in order to piece together a picture of what life was like inside Saddam's ever-shrinking inner circle. We spoke to his allies and to his adversaries; to politicians, exiles, palace insiders, his cooks, his menservants, friends of the Hussein family and government ministers. We interviewed people inside and outside Iraq.

"We cross-referenced these interviews with pictures and home movies left behind by the Hussein family, some produced for propaganda purposes, but others more candid, salvaged from the regime's destroyed palaces. And we accessed the partial trail of documents that emerged following the fall of the secretive and obsessively bureaucratic regime. The process took three years and involved a team of three researchers, all Arabic speakers. What emerges is a distinct and independent portrait of a dictator and his center of power."

The paper trail is impressive, and provides strong support for what is displayed. It is a welcome addition to the variety of films seeking insight into shadowy, controversial figures that impacted nations.

Recommended Films: W.; The Hurricane, Man on the Moon; Ray; Ali

Hungry History: Filipino Arroz Caldo!! (Lugaw)

By Robert Colinares (www.filipino-food-lovers.com) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Filipino chicken and rice stew! Sort of...


Arroz Caldo is a Spanish-influenced rice soup of Chinese inspiration, consumed by Spanish colonials who settled in the Philippines. An easy to digest food, it is often given the people who are sick or the elderly, as well as those in cold climates, due to being warm and flavorful.

Varieties of scrumptious ingredients depend on the specific region and individual preference of the preparer. Fried garlic and scallions are traditional ingredients in lugaw, the Tagalog term for this dish. Ginger, a favored ingredient in another Filipino favorite, adobo, is also sliced and boiled in the chicken or fish broth. Diced tofu, pork, beef cuts, soy sauce, calamansi, and black pepper are also flavorful ingredients in some variations. Try a taste of Cebu by adding Chinese sausage, bay prawns, bay leaf or olive oil, according to your specific recipe.

By Ramon FVelasquez (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Northern provinces in the Philippines, particularly Ilocanos, tend to prefer the Spanish-inspired arroz caldo to lugaw, though it seems to mainly be a difference of ingredients. If you want to switch up your chicken soup when you're feeling cold or otherwise hungry, next time try this recipe for arroz caldo and have a taste of the Philippines in no time!

Book Review: Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton, Diane Middlebrook.

By User:Villanueva at hu.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

In Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton, Ms. Middlebrook chronicles the life and career of jazz musician Billy Tipton, who began life as Dorothy Tipton. She addresses the challenges of gender identity, but also explores individual 1930s social responses to gender, and whether or not such identities were truly significant. She further investigates how gender identity significantly helped and hindered women’s access to careers during the 1930s, when women were still limited when men enjoyed nearly full access to a profession of their choice.

Ms. Middlebrook utilizes primary sources like audio tapes and photographs to piece together Tipton’s life. Her reliance on personal accounts of those who knew Billy Tipton strengthens many aspects of her argument. Such intimate details and discussions between spouses and colleagues lends itself to increased insight, particularly on the topic of sex. Some limitations include potential misrepresentation or questionable memories on the interactions, due to age or misunderstanding or personal reasons. This doesn’t belittle the value of first-person accounts, nor the strength of relying on such accounts to provide important insights. What is significant is these sources show how Tipton’s “wives” (for there was never a legal recognition of a marriage) and colleagues often didn’t know, or were largely unphased, by the birth sex of Billy Tipton, and recognized him as a loving father, partner, and musician, though very private and sometimes withdrawn.

Ms. Middlebrook chooses a chronological narrative, which works well to develop both Tipton’s transformation from Dorothy to Billy, but builds a solid foundation for understanding the circumstances surrounding his shift from Dorothy Tipton, an out of work musician, to Billy Tipton, a moderately successful jazz musician in the 1930s.

Ms. Middlebrook contributes successfully to a wealth of biographical narratives covering significant figures during the 1930s. A few contrasts to the Amelia Earhart book Still Missing seems appropriate, in light of the liberal feminist ideologies of the 1920s-1930s. Whereas Susan Ware’s book showcases prominent, talented females like Earhart and Hepburn proving sex to be no limitation to excellence, Ms. Middlebrook’s title character alters his persona to fulfill a role largely excluding women. This desire to fulfill a part Tipton felt born to perform meant securing access to the role by any means necessary. Counter to the figures of Still Missing, however, one would wonder whether Tipton’s life reflects a woman gaining access to greater independence through adopting the masculine persona, or whether Tipton’s goal was more individualistic, in that it served the purpose solely of allowing him to play jazz music. Nevertheless, what binds these two narratives together is an understanding that both Amelia Earhart and Billy Tipton built independent lives in their own way, when it was largely novel or scandalous to do so as women.

This book offers the reader insight into a little known persona, though now without one or two minor weaknesses. The action of cross-dressing and living as a person of the opposite gender seems almost benign for many socially-liberal individuals today. What seems fantastic is how Tipton managed to maintain the ruse for such a long time, especially during intimate moments with partners. Limited expansion over the motivations or reasons for Tipton transforming his identity, beyond desire to play and monetary demands from his family, seems a point of contention with this book. Though the author gives many options, it eventually falls to the reader to decide which is most plausible. Further, just how he did it, though perhaps intentionally left out due to lack of primary resources and being counter to the focus of the book. The interesting childhood, where mixed signals represented by Tipton’s father teaching her masculine activities as her mother desired a feminine daughter, meant Tipton may have been little constrained by traditional gender roles. Whether such actions make a statement about feminism in the 1930s, or mainly showcase the individual’s decision to access a profession through innovative means, perhaps becomes the book’s greater strength, to leave the reader pondering the ramifications of gender and social access to different professions.

The fact that success eluded Tipton, by his own actions, is understandable considering the chance someone would find out the truth under such media scrutiny, it almost seemed like “the game” and “the role” were more significant to Tipton than the success. Fulfilling the role of “father” and “jazz musician” became the key. The narrative is a rather quick read, also offering an easy style. A reader is left to wonder whether or not Tipton’s actions would be considered moral, given that many of the individuals present in Tipton’s life knew nothing of his true birth sex. Though such an accusation is countered by the fact that many who knew, including many individuals who played music with Tipton, show that as long as one could play, it mattered little what gender they identified with (though women were still largely prejudiced against). One almost questions whether Tipton performed a Catch Me If You Can-esque masquerade through gender deception, or if the draw to play music and live life as he saw fit was the primary, driving goal.

Recommended films: Some Like it Hot (1959), Billy Wilder; Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Jim Sharman; Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Chris Columbus; To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Beeban Kidron

US Cold War Containment Policy

By Catechetical Guild (Catechetical Guild) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

After the conclusion of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two “superpowers” whose economic, social, and cultural influence would long influence what historians later refer to as the Cold War period, roughly from 1945 until the 1990's. Alongside the rising international power of these two nations, each took on official policies to try and influence proxy states to adopt their own domestic governments allied with the two economic regimes, either Democracy or Communism.

Two regions, East Asia and Europe, were greatly influential in the United States' Cold War policy of containment, and felt the consequences of the worldwide contests between Soviet and US-backed governments.

After the war, Japan was essentially a nation rebuilding itself from square one. Much of the country had been destroyed by the Allies and many people were without basic fundamental services peacetime, first-world citizens take as given. The occupation by the United States also ushered in a period of demilitarization, and the reestablishment of fundamental government structures. Given this circumstance, the United States could, in essence, build a democratic nation, providing significant military and economic backing, and ensure that Japan could be relied upon as a “buffer” against the spreading of Communism from Soviet and, later, Chinese influence. US Cold War policy demanded a protected Japan.

In Korea, with the solidification of Chinese Communism to its West, and the influence of the Soviet north, a movement towards a Communist Korea swept through and built up a power base in the North of the peninsula under Kim Il Sung. Sung wanted the official military backing of China and Soviet Russia in order to take the South and make Korea a Communist nation, but was largely left wanting. Syngman Rhee, a national conservative politician of the south, kept the US interested and worked to encourage a US Cold War policy that ensured Korea would not fall to the Communists. The Korean Conflict was largely an expression of Cold War policy by the two dominant powers to create a sphere of influence in East Asia, with the US seeking to continue its Cold War policy of containment. Though some efforts were made to take the entire peninsula for the South, the US ultimately failed and the modern de facto borders of North and South Korea were established along the 38th parallel line. Partial Cold War containment, however, was a success in Korea.

In Vietnam, the Communists began efforts to unify the country along Communist lines under Ho Chi Minh, while the Southern Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem was supported as a nominally democratic government, although displayed dictatorial tendencies. In some parallels to Korea, Vietnam became a proxy war that escalated to a direct conflict for the United States. 1968’s escalation under Lyndon Johnson resulted in over 500,000 US troops committed to South Vietnam. Efforts at US Cold War containment were in full swing in Southeast Asia,

Post War, Germany was a country divided, both ideologically and literally. Eastern Germany was established as a Communist satellite state, and West Germany a democratically aligned state. Indeed, Berlin itself was divided along Democratic-Communist divisions, and later a wall. The US Cold War policy committed to the protection of Berlin and Germany specifically because of the limited successes in the Korean Conflict, which spiraled out of control. Berlin and Germany were influential in the developments of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as one of the key considerations for Soviet Russia was the inability of the US to simultaneously defend West Germany and Cuba with their military. The presence of missiles so close to the US mainland negated any advantages the US held by stationing military forces in, and thus militarily advantageous, Europe. This was the closest the world came to a third World War, and total nuclear conflict. Fidel Castro was committed to the Communist cause, and when Khrushchev decided to back down in the face of a US blockade and ultimatum, Castro felt betrayed. Thankfully, however, it avoided a nuclear war between the periods’ two superpowers.

Recommended Films: Dr. Strangelove and Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick; The Manchurian Candidate, John Frankenheimer; The Bedford Incident, James B. Harris

Hungry History: Spam Musubi!!

Hawaii-Asian-American food at its finest!

Combining some of the best aspects of American modern food miracles and Japanese sushi rice recipes, Spam Musubi merges the umami of rice vinegar infused short-grain rice and nori (dried seaweed) with the sodium-rich protein goodness of Spam into a snack worthy of any lunch-box.

Spam's history dates to the World War II military bases in Hawaii, where soldiers' main protein rations consisted of canisters of Spam. Due to the prevalence of this canned wonder, Hawaiians began incorporating Spam into island recipes. The Japanese communities in Hawaii can be credited with fashioning Spam musubi, inspired by Japanese omusubi with more traditional Japanese ingredients.

Variations exist that incorporate such ingredients, including Japanese furikake (dried ingredients for mixing into rice) like egg, salmon, sesame seeds, and flavored nori. Additional ingredients for musubi include Japanese chicken katsu (fried cutlet) and hot dogs.

Depending on the individual variation desired, chefs may opt for Hormel's slightly healthier variations of Spam, including their 25% less sodium variation, turkey variation, or "lite" variation, used in the recipe prepared above.

The Spam of choice is marinated in a soy-based sauce, sometimes flavored with sugar or vinegar, then grilled or baked until slightly dry (I used 350-degree oven for ten minutes). Cooked rice is mixed with rice wine vinegar and layered on dried nori to desired thickness. Sliced Spam is then layered on rice with a desired sauce, including but not limited to Hawaiian or Japanese style katsu sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, or soy sauce.

These snacks can be wrapped in plastic wrap then stored, as Spam Musubi can be enjoyed hot or cold.

This recipe from Allrecipes should get you started, but the beauty is making it your own with your own flavors. Don't be afraid to experiment!