I won't deny the pacing was odd, the dubbing at points was TERRIBLE (but it could simply have been that the audio was out of sync at the theater I was in) and I found the american strategic advisor to be almost worthless in the grand scheme of things, but I actually liked it, and did find it very interesting...
shareI agree with all you said. i was never a huge fan of Chinese history, btu i found this movie interesting. i dont know how much true or false this is, but i liked it.
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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.
I can't see what all the negative attitude with some people is either. It had fascinating scenery and costumes, and mostly good acting. Jackie, his love interest and the man who played Dr. Sun were great. The battle scenes were incredibly exciting; especially the raid on the Governer's mansion and the part where the rebels were up against a battleship. The scenes where characters died for the cause brought tears to my eyes; especially the woman executed at the beginning and some of the young men during the above mentioned raid.
There were also a lot of fascinating behind the scenes intrigue with the various rebel factions, within the royal court and with the bankers and diplomats. I don't see how the film is "cheap propaganda" or whatever, when it shows the faults and foolishness of its heroes and the realistic human motivations and in some cases real dignity of the other side.
The Chinese ambassador who went to Europe to get loans and stir up anti-revolution sentiment was portrayed as having good intentions, at least in my opinion. I liked how one of the Chinese princes saved face when ordered around by the British ambassador and then given the gift of a nice car. He praises the beauty and technological brilliance of the car, but then notes that in 50 years the car will be "scrap metal" but that his gift to the ambassador (a decorative antique bottle set with jewels) will increase in value with time.
Watching the Empress and her court gradually have to face the fact that their time had come to an end had an unexpected pathos for me, especially as she realized that many of her advisors had never been loyal to begin with. Her emotional prayer (just before abdicating) to her ancestors begging forgiveness for not being able to do her duty sent shivers down my spine.
The uncomprehending terror of the child Emperor, Puyi, as he saw everything he thought was solid and eternal fall apart was also sad and handled with sensitivity, as was the despair and shame of the minority of sincere courtiers when they realized that they could do nothing further to help their masters.
All things considered, a powerful epic.