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Long zhi zhan (2017)
Interesting Historical Period
This movie pertains to the Sino French War of 1884-5. The cinematography and battle scenes are well done. The movie is made by the Chinese and naturally portrays them in a favorable manner. The outcome of the War was a military stalemate which was resolved at the Treaty of Tientsin. The French got Indo China. Today the power balance is reversed and the Chinese want to seem to be invincible in the 19th century when they certainly were not. Western technology opposed Chinese manpower. The actual battle of Zhennan Pass involved 1500 French against 16,000 to 20,000 Chinese. You get the impression in the movie that thousands of French soldiers were killed although only 74 actually died and many more Chinese were killed. There is plenty of action but I could not see why the crocodile scene was in the movie. It possibly supported the theme of camaraderie and loyalty.
The Qing Dynasty was weak and eventually was toppled by Dr. Sun Yatsen in 1911. I prefer the Chinese movies which are based on older historical periods for the spectacle. They don't seem to like making movies that are about modern subjects or issues. They would be too controversial.
Christmas at the Royal Hotel (2018)
Interesting Subject, Poor Production
Whilst understanding that this is a low budget film about an epic event in history, the acting, costumes, dialog and scenes needed substantial improvement to be realistic. The Canadian and British uniforms have no rank badges and the tan shirts and shorts look like they were purchased at Walmart. The Colonel does not have red tabs or the correct cap for the period. I don't think this film helps remembrance of the sacrifice of Canadian forces in the forlorn defense of Hong Kong.
The Forgotten Army - Azaadi ke liye (2020)
Forgotten but not Forgiven
The series is well produced and directed and provides some interesting entertainment and historical perspective from the Indian nationalist point of view. However, it should always be remembered that the INA fought against the Allies and for the brutal Japanese who slaughtered and tortured thousands of Chinese inhabitants of Singapore as well as starving and killing many Allied prisoners of war. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the historical recreation of events despite the INA propaganda about fighting for India's freedom and the exaggeration of the INA's prowess in battle. Gandhi contributed far more than the INA to securing India's freedom from colonial rule. I found the continual portrayal of the British as the enemy to be unkind and unfair. The Allies were the ones who were fighting for freedom against the fascist regimes of Japan and Germany. The INA was fully cooperating with the Japanese and killing Allied soldiers. Many British who served in India loved India and its people and helped India develop. Many Indians live in Britain today and they evidently do not all hate the British. Gandhi is to be admired, the INA is to be forgotten but not forgiven.
Za'am V'Tehilah (1984)
Nothing Glorious, Plenty of Rage
Biased view of British mandate in Palestine. Britain was fighting the Nazis, the enemies of the Jews. This movie suggests the British were comparable to the Nazis. Nonsense! There was nothing glorious about murdering British soldiers. Britain was trying to keep Rommel and the Nazis out of Egypt and Palestine. The Stern Gang were terrorists. The actors try hard and maintain some drama. The British were not the bumbling idiots as portrayed having minimal security. Lehi sought an alliance with the Nazis and the Italian fascists in 1940 and was declared a terrorist organization by the Israeli government after it assassinated the UN mediator Count Bernadotte in 1948. Count Bernadotte obtained the release of 31,000 concentration camp prisoners and did not deserve to be murdered by Lehi (Stern Gang).
Black Sails: XIX. (2016)
Good Yarn, Not Historically Accurate
Although many of the characters are based on real pirates, they are not portrayed with historical accuracy. In real life most pirates had short careers and ended up hanging from the gibbet. The Black Sails pirates have an intellectual quality interspersed with violent tendencies and stimulating intrigue. Teach is a real genius. Ann Bonny is a supreme female fighter with sensitive feelings. Rackham, Flint and Silver have complicated discussions about the rights of pirates and their capacity to control Nassau. Eleanor Guthrie and the other women are beauties with sparkling white teeth and clean hair. The English soldiers are the Nazis of the 18th century and can be cut down by the dozen.
The reality is that pirate control of Nassau was short lived from 1713 to 1718 and when the real life Woodes Rogers arrived he kicked their ass and the British ruled the Bahamas for over 250 years. It's a good story, well-photographed and directed but it would be nice if it was a bit more historically accurate. Pirates were cold blooded killers not heroes.
Frontier (2016)
Fictional Historic Frontier Melodrama
I thought I was going to be really interested in this series for its historical depictions of the 18th century Canadian frontier. Unfortunately the main character is fictitious and is represented as a blood thirsty killer who seems to like his daily toll of dead redcoats. He looked better in Game of Thrones. The series is anti-English and the locations and acting are not impressive. Some of the costumes look like they are made with modern materials and methods. Check out Michael Smyth's leather coat and its stitching. The series looks like it was partially filmed in the reconstructed Fortress of Louisburg and the distances everyone has to travel are minimized. The series seems to follow an anti-English point of view still prevalent in some French-speaking areas of Canada today. The Hudson's Bay Company was very successful and is now a multi billion dollar company. It owns Saks, Lord & Taylor and many other companies. I don't like historical dramas that don't depict history accurately, example: Mel Gibson's Braveheart.
Disappointing and politically correct for some people; not me!
Jason Bourne (2016)
Needless Violence and Poor Script
The background countries are interesting and the photography is good except for jerky scenes following people on foot. Alicia Vikander has an intriguing look and plays her part well. Ruiz Ahmed and Tommy Lee Jones both give good performances. Matt Damon tries hard but has less to say in this third Bourne film. My criticism concerns the unnecessary violence, car chases and crashes. The script continues the pointless story of a maverick black ops agent seeking vengeance against the system. Why does Jason Bourne think he is more important than his country? He is quite happy to beat up the many agents sent to bring him back because he is seeking his idea of justice. He is referred to as a patriot but does not demonstrate any selfless qualities. The first Bourne movie was good but the theme has now run its course. The script is very limited in its scope and is more of a formula than a suspense.
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Excellent Historical Drama
Seasons one and two were excellent. Sam Neil always does a good job in historical dramas. His role as Major Campbell reminded me of a much earlier mini-series when he played Reilly, Ace of Spies. Grace was very attractive and well cast. Arthur and Polly gave excellent performances. The use of razor blades sewn into peaked caps would not produce an effective weapon but offers an interesting concept. An historical criticism would be that the age that you attained majority in England in the period 1919-1922 was 21 not 18. Polly's lost son could not make legal decisions when he turned 18 as the age of majority was only lowered to 18 in 1970. Home Rule for Ireland was a major political issue and the treaty negotiated by Michael Collins and Winston Churchill was rejected by the Irish Republicans leading to the Irish Civil War.of 1922-23. The Peaky Blinders is particularly interesting as it depicts the difficult transition of many ordinary British soldiers returning home from the First World War. Some of these men brought weapons back to England. Gun laws in England were less stringent in 1918 until the passage of the 1920 Firearms Act.
The Monuments Men (2014)
Interesting subject, confused screenplay!
This is a good story based on the WW2 theft of art treasures by the Nazis but it lacks continuity and meaningful direction and screenplay. Various characters are presented but you wonder where they all fit in and what happens to them.
There are goofs in the historical sequence of events. With the exception of Matt Damon you wonder if the elderly group of Monuments Men would realistically survive on the Western Front in 1944. Why did Cate Blanchett and Hugh Bonneville want to be in this movie? Cate gives a good performance as a French art gallery curator. Hugh is more uncomfortable in his role as the token British contribution to the mission. He is quite a contrast to his more familiar role as the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
The story is good but the production should have been better. There are a series of vignettes but not tied together well. The subject has not been treated with enough depth.
Simba (1955)
Great Movie!
Some of the reviews of this movie are too absorbed with the alleged racial content. Although racism was prevalent in the white community, a better approach would be to recognize the white settlers' concern for their safety from murder and home invasion. Some people don't know much about the history of the period, and are too preoccupied with being politically correct by today's standards. The Mau Mau rebellion was an early example of terrorism through brutality and atrocity. Many Kenyans lived in fear of a Mau Mau raid and more than 2,000 were killed by Mau Mau. The blood oaths and secret society of the Mau Mau made the terror all the more extreme. Although few of those murdered were white, many settlers were extremely scared. They were particularly scared at night, and of being betrayed by their household employees. Simba accurately depicts the fear and tension of the period. There are fine performances and the movie is absorbing and exciting.
The New World (2005)
Poor New World
Colin Farrell is cast in the wrong part. If this movie solely depended on looks and no words he might be good enough. However, there is some occasional dialog! Why would you cast an Irishman to play the Englishman John Smith? Mr. Farrell's strong Irish brogue detracts from the history depicted in the movie. The movie was not as good as I expected it would be, and I like dramas based on historical events. There are some interesting parts and beautiful scenery but this movie is slow and disjointed. The story of Pocohantas is fairly accurately related but you wonder why she bothered to save the Virginia settlements.
To End All Wars (2001)
Contrasting Cultures
The differences between Japanese Bushido and Western Christianity are illustrated in a convincing way in "To End All Wars." While it is not possible today to show the true harshness of conditions in a WW2 Japanese prisoner of war camp this movie goes a long way to demonstrate the type of treatment POWS experienced. The psychology of the POWS and their guards is an interesting feature. Another film which explores this interaction is "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence."
My main criticism of "To End All Wars" is with the casting of some of the officers in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the 93rd Regiment, not Division, of the British Army. The colonel is way too old to be leading the battalion in 1942. Robert Carlyle also appeared to be an unlikely second-in-command, though he did a good job portraying the emotions of someone under extreme tension. This movie is more realistic than "Bridge on the River Kwai" and is a very good about portraying a sad but significant time in history which still has lessons for the present.