Loosening taboos while respecting social order

By Wang Wenwen Source:Global Times Published: 2014-4-23 0:08:01

US Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone recently sparked tension during the Beijing International Film Festival when he blasted China's film industry for glorifying Mao Zedong and failing to address controversial issues such as the Cultural Revolution, while Ning Hao, a Chinese film director, hit back at Stone by saying he was finding fault with China.

"Mao Zedong has been lionized in dozens and dozens of Chinese films, but never criticized," Stone said during a panel discussion on co-productions between China and Hollywood last week. "It's about time. You've got to make a movie about Mao, about the Cultural Revolution."

Stone, famous for JFK, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, has never failed to rile up audiences. He is also known for his critical voice in his own country, most recently the controversial book Untold History of the United States. Immersed deeply in politics, this outspoken director last year called on Japan to apologize for its wartime atrocities and take a more peaceful attitude to China and other Asian countries.

It may not be appropriate to label Stone as anti-US or pro-China through the above cases, especially given his blunt criticism of China's film industry. He is the kind of filmmaker that is cynical about politics of the country rather than simply eyeing it as a huge potential market. Stone's remarks ignited controversy surrounding the country's film censorship system and its effect on the industry.

It is no surprise that Western filmmakers are interested in the legacy of Mao Zedong because through the lenses of that era can they grasp an understanding of why China has become what it is today, such as how the fabric of people's daily life has been formed and what various problems the country is facing. Stone's words, to some extent, reflect the current situation of Chinese films with political themes. But at the same time, he should bear in mind the complexities of current China.

There have been a number of Chinese films with the Cultural Revolution as the background such as the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning Farewell My Concubine. It is not a taboo word in Chinese society.

Chinese society has been reflecting upon the Cultural Revolution, whose pernicious influence such as rumormongering and slandering still lingers and brews problems in society. The authorities take a cautious attitude toward it, especially when the country is facing an increasingly divided society.

We should face up to history, but also take into consideration the unity of the people. One costly lesson offered by the Cultural Revolution is the grim consequences of a society ripped apart.



Posted in: Observer

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