The Wandering Earth: How to Tell a Chinese Story | Video Essay
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- Accented Cinema - Episode 17
I wanted to talk about this film since I first saw the film in theatres and absolutely loved it. This is one of those film where the more I watch, the more details I notice. And today, I'd like to share some small and big details that might not be able to cross the cultural barrier.
What's your opinion on the film? Let me know in the comments!
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As a Chinese immigrant in Canada, it's so refreshing to see the Chinese perspective of life examined. Please do more stuff like this.
me too 😂 i used to be embarassed of my heritage but i couldnt be more proud of it now, we re called chinese canadians for a reason. Its nice to see videos like this about china besides the typical political stuff
Yea its nice to see the perspective of other cultures.
And, as a Haitian-American immigrant in Serbia its also refreshing to tune into Accented Cinema's perspective. He is hitting on something very deep and cross-cultural here. Keep it up.
In my country, many chinese still spends a lot of resources into retaining the chinese heritage and culture, and thus i feel really blessed.
@@kevinzhu6417 Dude our traditional culture is nothing less than something to be fiercely proud of. Our modern state perhaps has some issues, but Daoism and Confucianism MADE the East.
It is inspired by the Hall of Versailles
ffs
Hall of mirror in Versailles
This never gets old.
@@NothingButStardust That reference on this channel will NEVER die
The Mirrors of Versailles in Hall.
This might actually be my favorite video yet. When you explained Chinese philosophy of home and family being the same, it really touched me.
as a Chinese we know it so well, this made me did not go to see this movie at all as nothing new to me.
This episode was voted by the generous patrons on Patreon! Thank you for all the support, and I hope you enjoy my admittedly very bias look at this film!
I recently found your channel and so far I love your content well made keep it up, after seeing this video I would like to see you do the same to the film Operation Red Sea is available in Netflix I recommend it and I liked it as much as this film
He already talk that movie, in Chinese Patriotic Movie (if I'm not wrong) ..
Akin Khoo - which is why it will never be a lasting classic. Leaving out a crucial part of the novel that could’ve easily been portrayed cinematically shows Mainlander filmmakers once again being forced to play it safe, to self-censor basically. As a fan of the book I do wonder if the film might have played better abroad - which WAS what the makers were hoping for, instead of an unceremonious Netflix dump - had the source of major dramatic conflict in the novel survived the transition to the screen.
if you keep doing videos like this you are gonna become one of my favorite youtubers
Yea this channel is solid
I love yall
Already one of my top 5 youtube discoveries of 2019. Fantastic.
Very much agreed. Really really good channel.
@@AccentedCinema You already are my favorite youtuber
West: "home is where the family is"
China:
*HOME IS HOME*
Homeland is part of the family
Home is where the heart is.
this channel really helps trying to understand the importance of where i'm from and being able to tell stories through a different perspective. thank you!
I know some fans of Liu Cixin's works dislike this movie a lot. Since I'm kind of one myself, I do understand where they came from, so I will provide a different perspective. It does not conflict with what's said in the video and just depends on what you expect from this movie. The problem here is that the movie does not feel like a Liu Cixin work, and it's not simply because the plot had very little to do with Liu's original novel (except for the basic premise, it's mostly an original story inspired by a very small part of the novel), but that some of the movie's philosophy goes completely against Liu's works.
Liu's works have always been a celebration of rationalism over emotion. Characters in his novels would do things that seem cruel, but are in fact the best things to do for the greater good or the pursuit of knowledge. Logic and science over emotion and personal feelings is a very obvious theme of Liu's novels. It gives his work a grander feeling that transcends individual human, because the universe does not have emotions. A character in Liu's novel would never do something like in the movie, where one of the main characters sacrificed the backup plan for the preservation of humanity and its knowledge (the space station with 300,000 human embryos) to gamble for the small chance that he can save the earth and the people on it. What's worse is that his heroic action actually succeeded, despite all scientists predicted his plan having less than 0.1% chance of success. If it was Liu's work, he would have failed. Or it would have been because he came up with a concrete theory that could make it work, not because "even the slightest chance of saving actual people is better than embryos". Compared to Liu's works like "朝闻道" (the title is the first half of the famous ancient quote "朝闻道，夕死可矣” which translates to "(if one can) learn the way in the morning, it would be fine to die in the same evening"), where characters would sacrifice their own lives and the lives of their loved ones for the pursuit of knowledge, some plots in this movie feels like a slap in the face to the values and philosophies celebrated in Liu's works. For some fans this is the biggest problem of the movie.
You need to rewatch the movie. Yes, the original plan to ignite the hydrogen had 0% chance of success (because the flame won't reach Jupiter's atmosphere). But blowing up the space station is pretty much a safe bet. (It's still a gamble that guaranteed the destruction of the contigency plan, but the odd is far better than 0%)
I haven't read the book, but I don't really see the ending as the triumph of idealism over materialism, but rather a synthesis of both. The main driving conflict of the movie is between the father's pragmatic materialism (thesis) and his son's sentimental idealism (anti-thesis). This contradiction permeates the movie (the conflict about the mother's euthanization, the conflict about prioritizing lives before securing the Core, the underlying conflict between the lucky few and the sacrificed many represented in the sister, etc.) The movie never outright told the audience which side is the right one (the fact that the movie is told from various perspectives also helped). That is until the ending, which is where the conflict of both ideas is resolved. The pragmatic materialist realized that he couldn't go ahead with the most logical plan of action, because he didn't really care about the fate of humanity as much as the survival of his son. And the idealist finally has to concede that some trade in lives are worth it and necessary for the good of the many.
That is absolutely fair, which is the reason why I'm still not very optimistic about the adaptation of "The Three Body Problem". Part of the reason I liked this film was I went in with zero expectation. And even then, I still think I have my filled and will not want a Wandering Earth 2.
Still, as a film writer, I understand why they have to make those changes. Liu's work has very little emphasis on human characters. It's usually about greater forces at work, and humanity doing the inevitable. It's strong social commentary, but usually doesn't make for very engaging films.
Although I had admittedly only read Liu's Three-body trilogy, I've always thought that it was a celebration of humanity, which not only include rationality but also "emotions": empathy and the connection between human beings
@Patchy True that "Liu's works have always been a celebration of rationalism over emotion." But you forget Liu's best short story 帶上她的眼睛.
@Patchy Thanks for this comment 谢谢你 🙏
Now, I understand why I find many saying Liu Cixin's novel is much better than the movie. I think you've very well described the underlying disconnect of those who've read the novel that leads to their emphatic disdain 👍
Excellent video.
I think the fundamental philosophy behind 'mass exodus' in the West - particularly when it comes to space travel - stems more from a romantic notion of the "Age of Exploration" than religion/mythology.
Nowadays, I feel that people are acutely aware that the entire imperial project was at the very least *de facto* genocidal in nature. That the 'explorers' that we learned about in elementary school were a lot less Dr. Livingstone and a lot more Ghenghis Khan. Once you strip away that American national mythos, the historical reality's a bit too obvious to deny.
And while this would probably be crass to say in many circles, is there any *story* greater than the European age of "exploration"? Swashbuckling adventurers sail across the edge of the earth! Find fortune and glory! Cities of pyramids with exotic languages built on islands in lakes! Human sacrifice! 300 men take down an empire!
It's almost unbelievable - it wouldn't work in fiction. Arya going "West of Westeros" was cringy because there was only *one* time that that story could be told.
But again, the reality was genocidal. There was land for Europeans to expand into, to create "a land of opportunity" because the previous inhabitants were dead - whether by smallpox or the sword. So how can we tell that story, again? Without the guilt this time?
... science fiction. Star Trek is a story that's basically the age of exploration - only this time, we don't need to have that nagging feeling that 'wait, we're the baddies'.
China, meanwhile, doesn't have that same exploration mythos. Zheng He went on his voyages, but then China stopped - for much the same reason we stopped going to the moon. There was just no reason to continue.
Do "Let the Bullets Fly" next! Best thing the CFGC's put out this decade, I feel.
@Chinese Cooking Demystified Part of me hates to admit it, but I agree - as rooted in genocide and cultural hegemony and imperialism as it was, I can't help but love the story of the European Age of Exploration. I grew up loving stories based in that period without questioning the basis behind them. I still get a thrill at the idea of a great sailing ship venturing out into the open sea on a journey to explore the unknown. I wish I could more easily reconcile that with the horrific truth of what really happened.
I wouldn't say it's wrong to say there's still an older, religious basis for the 'mass exodus' concept than the European Age of Exploration, one that informs both modern media and the Age of Exploration itself. Part of it is in the name - 'exodus'. The Bible is full of stories of displacement from an original homeland and a journey to find a new one, and I think that concept has become ingrained in Western culture. But not so in Chinese culture, as you point out.
Omg this is exactly the crossover I needed I am blessed to be alive 🙏
CCD+AC collab when????
Also for anyone who wants further reading on what CCD is saying here I recommend: readsettlers.org/
I think it has more to do with the fact Indo-European cultures are descendants of nomadic herders, not too different from the Mongols or Turkic tribes, and for the US it’s even stronger because of recent we’ve had mass migration in to the country and the westward expansion.
I've always thought that the mass exodus is more like only a select few get the privilege/graced by god/god's chosen/etc... of leaving the old destruction behind. Only the elites get to be saved. To me, that's an important premise for Noah Ark. Only Noah was deemed to be worthy by God... which was the elite standard in that story.
Liu Cixin (author of this novel) said: If humans leave the earth, then humans can no longer be called humans.
@@theforevermachine I agree with you , but somehow we still never stop ask why.
Jonathan Weiss actually I would rather agree on this quote，just like British colonialists in America，for first one or two generations they might call themselves British，but then，they will start to call them Americans as time goes on.
@@至上理智 furthermore, the comparaison with emigration on Earth has limitations. If we colonize space one day population living on different worlds will surely be drifting from one another from a biological perspective.
Even from a simple biological standpoint, if humans left earth and settled somewhere else, then they'll have to re-adapt for the new enviroments, which slowly makes the new humans something else entirely.
Should have said earthlings.
Over the past year, I've found myself falling in love with Chinese culture, history, and media, so I appreciate that this channel exists.
Thanks for making quality content.
Just don't fall in love with the government. Don't take me wrong, I also find the Chinese culture pretty fascinating, it's huge depth and persistence of traditions, as well as variety through regions, in huge contrast to the United States or other more recently formed countries. But I can't simply forget about the wrongdoings of it's criminal government because of my praise for it's culture and people. I really hope the CCP is torn down soon enough and the people of China can determine what kind of government they want to maintain their freedoms and stop the organized extermination of Uyghurs and religious groups like Falun Gong, and the organ harvesting that goes on in their prisons, and most importantly open up their rights to free speech and information from the west, and no longer being constantly spied on.
Sadly here in America we're starting to get really close to being dystopian.. In fact I'd say we're already past the tipping point. The CCP knows that American politicians are very greedy and can be bought with money, and they have done it more than once. Powerful megacorporations that own the media and news companies that everyone sees, and uses them to shape the average american's opinions, promoting the candidates that promise to implement laws that help the companies' growth, creating a sort of symbiotic relationship. So yeah, we're fucked, because the average american knows this and can't do anything, or more commonly has no idea of it.
@@epzanoletty the CCP sounds like the antagonist in a movie or book
Me too
Big fan of sci fi growing up, but I was literally shocked by this movie, in a good way. Never thought Chinese sci fi can be this good, it is one of the best Ive ever watched.
If you're interested in Chinese sci-fi, I recommend the Three Body Problem. It's three books not s movie, but it received a lot of praise worldwide, and its by the same author of this movie
So you grew up thinking chinese people cannot write scif? That is.... weird...
Also, recommend Larry Nivens "Ringworld". If THIS movie managed to shock you, that book will blow you away...
@@Alexander_Kale I'm pretty sure it's a bot. Noone who has ever praised this story has tried to call it good sci fi.
The wondering earth2 came out recently, and it’s even better then the original, I highly recommend it.
@@ivy4360 I know, already watched it. It’s the best.
"Emotions are such personal things. By necessity, all good stories are drawn from the writer's personal experience."
Damn man. This reminds me of a review comment on a romantic game about a guy complaining that the game wasn't romantic enough. And there was the comment from the dev on the review who apologized and said that he cannot make a good romantic game story because he has never been in love.
I hope the Dev finds his own perfect love story
@@linkswords10 yeah
Great video. I'm fascinated by the idea of home too. I'm a third-generation immigrant. My grandparents left China before WWII and moved to Singapore. My parents left Singapore for Canada. I left Canada and I live in the Caribbean. I don't know where home is. Right now the concept is just family--wherever my wife and dog are. One day I hope I find somewhere that feels like home.
I think you just explained why so many cities around the world have a "Chinatown".
I never thought about this, you might be right
Ohh that was insigthful
This idea of "Home" was never that clear for me, but when I watch this film, I have this indescribable feeling in the heart.
Now I see what it was, and it all thanks to you.
I would like to thank you for your wonderful videos. I have always loved the deep and rich history of China and it's storytelling style in particular. I admit I have a limited knowledge of these things but from what I have been exposed to it is often excellent. I appreciate your efforts to introduce your culture to a wider audience. I am also very happy to learn you have made Canada your home. You are clearly enriching Canada with your talent and I look forward to your future works. Thank you, yet again. You have made this Canadian a big fan of Chinese film and history.
Once again, just the kind of explanation I could only expect from a channel like this. I honestly never got the hook of this movie, and I think it really does come down to the fundamental differences in how western and eastern cultures look at the world. And obviously, from anything resembling a scientific perspective, the movie is ridiculous, particularly with a different view towards home and towards 'survival'. But that emotional core, rooted in thousands of years of sublime engineering and manipulation of nature, must truly resound for its intended audience. Another marvelous piece!
I remember there was a publicity piece about the writing crew asks a few scientists on how to make the science possible. To which their first reaction is "This is just flat-out impossible from the start". That was pretty hilarious.
Honestly, I hated this movie with a passion coming from a person who was actually excited to see the movie at first. But after watching your video it kinda taught me to like this movie a little more. Keep up the good work!!
I have the absolute opposite experience. I absolutely have no hope for this movie being good, and was pleasantly surprised.
That's the problem with being a mediocre adaptation to a classic book, I guess.
I read one of the "Sequel" Light Novel of this where one char manage to travel back in time to change all this. In that Light Novel, the main char died during the journey there and after he got back, he get stronger, used the knowledge of the future to actually lure all the powerful rich corporations and leaders countries during the supposed confrontation with aliens and basically destroyed them.
Then establish his rules on Earth with China's culture as the main.
Needless to say, it become just too much Nationalist aspect that I just couldn't even stomach to read further.
May I ask why you "hated this movie with a passion"? It's not great, but it's also not terrible. I was chuckling to myself watching this video thinking 'I think it was better than Interstellar...' lol
@@CuongNguyen-le5ic could it be that we're just too deeply engrained into the western form of nationalistic that we just brush a story aside because it challenges our own view points?
@@MyLife-og2kr LOL, establish a ruler in that time of need, I have no problem, but the fact the Light Novel I read clearly still favor Chinese armies despite in the end he still kill most Chinese leaders, although didn't say that out loud, but the fact throughout the Light Novel I read, the author still favor Chinese side and the dictatorship at the end sound just too much like Mao Zedong.
It sure challenge my view points on whether to accept a Dictator in time of need.
I like it that it touched you. It was the same way for me when I saw, "Oblivion," the Tom Cruise sci fi movie.
My friends usually see me as a film snob and would think that I would have hated Oblivion. But it spoke to me in a personal level.
For me that movie reflected my life; Jack was told what to do, was married to a wife he didnt love and he would take chances to collect things he loved when the supervisor wasnt watching.
My personal problem is that I am living a life that I didnt choose. I didnt choose the name or the country where I was born. People think it's normal to do whatever they like with my life.
I wont spoil Oblivion, but there is a part in the movie where Jack sees the reality of his existence, he's made to be whatever the system wants him to be.
It scares me that the way I talk, the way I dress might have been an idea created by the government, the advertising companies.
And I dont want to be rebellious and self destructive, either, but I want to be happy and in order to do that I have to do what benefits me personally.
Society doesn't see it like that. I'm only valuable as labor, as a tax payer; I dont work, I become homeless. I dont pay taxes, I got to jail.
Thank you for the insight into the cultural aspects of this film! I found this movie by accident while browsing my fiancé’s Netflix in Europe. I love Chinese film, science fiction, and astronomy, so naturally I had to check out the movie and see what it was all about. I was impressed at the scale and presentation of the film, and some of the scenes with Jupiter in the Earth skies come right out of some dreams I’ve had. Beautiful film! I’ll have to watch it again someday with all the cultural layers you mentioned in mind. I honestly wasn’t looking to watch an entire movie at the time I was browsing, but I couldn’t stop watching! The film really was a happy find, and I enjoyed it very much! 👍🏼
I don't know anything about the film but the Chinese philosophy pf home and family being the same is really deep. Thanks for this.
Home is where you can shit comfortably, and eat comfortably.
While the video did mentioned but didn't put it together. It is more of root ( then family and home). To Chinese people, the root is where family and home is, and sure that youngsters would go to the city and work or some would stay and have their own family. But the root of home is never change, and that is why during lunar new years, more than million of Chinese getting a train, airplane ticket to go back home ( even when home are up in mountain, or far away from city).
Can't say I agree with everything you present/say, but your videos are amazing and thought provoking. Very original, and exceptional presentation. Thank you for every minute of your effort.
Cultural Studies major here - this is outstanding content in regards of embedding the story itself into a broader social and historical context. Love every bit of your work!
This is one of my favorite channels out there. Despite the tremendous range of manufactured goods from China that Americans depend on, we never hear anything about the people there. I think the work you're doing is invaluable, keep it up!
You are the first person I have ever supported on Patreon and I'm very, very glad of it. Keep up the good work, you inspire me to consume and study art everyday. Greetings from Brazil.
Thank you for your support!
I am American, and I saw all the things you bring out in this video. I completely enjoyed this movie with it quirkiness (cultural differnces) and for its story, visuals and familiarity of tech that leads you to think this may be plausible. (Dont take the word plausible litterally). Its a great story and movie. Loved it. I didn't realize it was a 2019 release, and was surprised when I could not find it for sale yet. This will be one to add to my collection.
I'm so glad this video is out! Brilliant work as always. I loved this movie and can't wait to see the author's other story "The Three Body Problem" being adapted into Chinese animation.
Wait, the Three Body is going to be an animation?
Yeah, for sure?
@@AccentedCinema yeah, YHKT Entertainment are animating it once they finish releasing Incarnation this summer. They've released a beautiful concept trailer.
I tried to link it but UA-cam censors those xD. If you search for GuoDong subs' UA-cam channel they've even subtitled it in English =)
@@DongHuaReviews thanks dude, glad to know that :)
This video put into words all the thoughts I was having about this film. I really enjoyed the analysis of the Western Noah's Ark vs Chinese Old Mountain Man philosophies. I showed my mother, who left Shanghai during the cultural revolution, this film. She thought it was quite stupid, but there was something in it that resonated with me, as a hapa who seeks more anchor to my mother culture.
I thought the movie was ok, but after watching this video, I think I can appreciate it a bit more. Thanks 👍
What a fantastic video. Great to hear about this film from your perspective. Keep up the good work!
I think your greatest strength is revealing the culture and history that movies draw from, as well as the influences that go into each shot and theme. Hope your series draws more subscriptions and viewers! Also I wonder if the storytellers in China will gravitate toward animation or online movies and series to share their stories, as currently censorship doesn't take those forms seriously.
This was really well done! it does a great job putting the film in context for audiences unfamiliar with Chinese culture.
These videos are such brilliance. This guy really knows exactly what he's talking about and has such a good grasp on story-telling and culture in the perfect way for discussing film.
watched this movie a while ago, didn't expect you had actually made a video about it, but then again, makes perfect sense that you made a video about it. Watched so many hollywood sci fi movies and alot of them do end up taking a 'noah's ark' approach to the solution. This is one of the very rare ones that put any thought in our relationship with the planet itself and actually show refusal to leave it behind. It's almost emotional, which is something that can't be rationalized. I think this movie hits differently when different people see it, hence a lot of people do end up calling it absurd, but it's really just a concept. I don't want to pull any touchy parallels as examples, I'm sure anyone can do that for themselves. It's also nice how you gave examples from chinese myth, especially Nuwa. I remember reading in some version of the story, the stone she used to patch up the sky wasn't enough so she used her own body to patch up the rest of the hole.
Been reading quite a few Xianxia novels lately and something always felt weird to me when the main characters get so powerful they keep on leaving their home over and over again (some even leave their planets/dimensions and actual lovers/families behind) and at some point my subconscious just has trouble following them on a more personal level. If feels selfish somehow. There's this 'wrong' feeling, but then there's friends/family of mines that will argue with me and say that it's selfish of his friends/family to keep the main character at home when he/she has potential to go farther. Of course nobody wants to watch/read a story about a dude who just stays at home the rest of his life and grow crops. There'd be no story. If that ever happens, it's when the character is old and no longer has the will or strength to move. After I watched this video, I think I know why I got that weird feeling. I think someone pointed out in another comment about exploration philosophy and whatever the opposite of that is.
i study chinese and have lived in china. your reading of this movie is 100% accurate. these kinds of videos are so important for cross cultural understanding. good job.
Thank you for giving me a glimpse into this movie and culture think I want to read the book now.
I subscribe to, maybe, one or two new UA-camrs a year - so happy I subscribed to your channel, I learn something new and enjoy every video every time. Please, keep up the awesome work!
This movie is a big step forward for the Chinese film industry, but it's mostly a technical achievement. To be honest, the characters in this movie are quite bland and one-dimensional. You have your typical loving father and grandfather, rebellious teenagers, brave soldiers and nerdy scientists, etc. It's rather stereotypical and basic. And to make matters worse, a lot of crucial moments of character building, bonding and growing are cut out of the film to fit the average run time of a Spring festival blockbuster movie (ex. the motivation behind the young girl's runaway from home). The philosophical roots of this film is deep and worth exploring, but they only show on the macro level of the script (how the general story plays out) and are not well translated into the micro level (how the characters and the whole human race grow and change). That's why I find the film worth seeing but wouldn't call it great :)
Is there director cut version in chinese cinema?
@@rocket_sensha4337 Sadly there isn't, but on the Chinese Internet there's a list of scenes said to have been cut out of the original film and it's quite convincing cuz those are exactly the scenes that people feel missing in the version they see in cinema
I think that is what one of the key features of the film. If you remember there is a line saying when a catastrophe comes, no one can step outside of it. There are major characters in the story but the heroes are never just any single person, but human-kind collectively as a whole. This is an important Chinese value and what makes the film unique to the Hollywood ones which often relies on some certain hero to save the world, and I think the movie did a great job demonstrating that.
The fact that everyone would be dead the instant the engines fired up took me right out of the movie. Thanks for giving it a different context. I'll try it again.
That's a romantic Sci-fi movie.
people take too much time looking at obscurities.
This is one my favourite channels on UA-cam. Movie and novella are different, and I like them both. I am Brazilian, but you mentioned things that I loved in the movie.
I am surprised by the context in the video deeply, u really capture the core of this film, a special and unique relationship between people and nature which root in the mind of all Chinese people. Thanks a lot
I like how you mention that China sees the land just as much as a part of the family as the people are. I think most Westerners feel this way too, and the new idea of home being its people is something only recently and usually only from cities.
many eauropean immigrants in the americas after both world wars, so there's some of that from there too.
As I am a Russian student that decided to study in China, for some reason I liked Chinese culture from your videos more than from two years of extensive courses.
The only Chinese movie that I liked so far (and which wasn't a Jackie Chan movie) is Detective Chinatown (which I call Defective Chinatown, because this name fits better and it's genuinely what I saw on the poster for the sequel). I would like to see your commentary about that movie as despite it being shot in Thailand with a lot of European inspirations, it felt unique and as Chinese as it can be.
But I will also check out the Wandering Earth as soon as I will find time for it, thanks for the recommendation, I will look forward to seeing more of those, and other analysis videos
that should be available on Netflix
@@patrickwang7866 I don't have Netflix, I'm in China, I watch through Aiqiyi and Youku usually
You make some of the best videos on this platform! I love watching everything you post, it's so genuine and makes me remember the beauty of film as art instead of other youtubers who just seem to riff on whatever's popular.
Thank you, for just posting about what you enjoy and see value in.
After I watched the film, I thought it's just a normal sci-fi film. But after watching this video, I appreciated it more lol
It's nice to see someone who actually reviews the films I watch.
When I saw this video and I read part of the description I decided to trust you and give this movie a chance and I could not be more than glad that I did. I'm Dominican and I've never talk to Chinese people or traveled outside the D.R but watching some of your videos and this movie it has helped me to understand the culture and I feel more connected now. Thank you for what you do!
Love from China❤️
Congratulations for a new masterpiece. Keep up the exceletn work!
I watched this movie in China and it was so accurate to what I saw i real life. Right outside my grandmas house were those massive red banners, the environment, those dark alleys was the neighbourhoods she lived in. That isn’t a bad thing, but it shows how well it reflected the lives of people in China.
Thank you for sharing your explanation and Chinese perspective on this movie and home. I will definitely watch it with your remarks in my mind. All the best.
This was a great episode. Being unfamiliar with the culture Its an interesting exploration of the two stories Noah's ark vs the foolish man who wanted to move a mountain.
Also I really appreciated the joke at 0:46. I did not hear great things about the film until now. Thank you for your videos.
This is a great channel, I look forward to your next video. I really like how you compare this movie with Independence day. From your video essay, it's a really close analogy.
Just found this video by chance, love your work, especially the philosophy behind the way Chinese view the world and earth.
that thing about the foolish old man that truly resonated with me is "if i cant do it in my lifetime, my children and children's children will continue for me". not that its related but out here in southeast asia children are expected to continue their parent's profession or at least help in the "family business". if not they are expected to do better than parents did. nowadays we are becoming more open and most of us care about self fulfillment and autonomy and there seems to be one way or another with no middle ground. i think alot of us localized chinese and especially the mixed are very disconnected from alot of the values of "home".
everytime i watch your vids learn more and resonate even more despite the differences of experience
that's the power of the culture that you have inherited from. culture will form your values and thus ideology and behavior.
I watched it in theaters when it came to North America for a limited release. And I really loved the film. I thought it was great. I was pretty emotionally invested and rooting for the main characters. This may be just me but watching The Wandering Earth excited me more than when I watched Independence Day. I thought it was a very great film and I'm glad I decided to watch it in theaters.
watched wandering earth and i really didnt like it at first. but u really changed my mind on this. thanks! rlly loved the cultural analysis cos even though im chinese, i missed the chineseness of preserving earth (which i read initially as the character being ridiculously uncooperative and stubborn). your analysis inspires me and reminds me that this is why i believe in media and cultural analysis and being a literature major! much love and can't wait for you to come back from your hiatus
I wish your video was uploaded sooner when the movie still in theatre. Your explanation brings this movie to a new level. BTW, I'm enjoying the movie also.
I was shocked and awed of how gutsy the movie depicting military going rogue.
Thank you for this very illuminating video. I like "The Wandering Earth" more than you seem to, but that's not the point. It's immensely helpful to have the insights into Chinese culture and society you provide here; it will significantly increase my understanding and enjoyment of the film the4 next time I watch it. I am very glad I happened across your channel! I've watched many of your videos and find them always interesting, well presented, and informative. I appreciate your making them and the work you put into them. I'm looking forward to future videos.
Really great job as usual.
I think that the moving earth is not just about moulding nature but it’s also about sustainability. In Hollywood films of the same genre we often see the protagonists abandoning the dying earth and seeking out new habitable planets (e.g. interstellar) but I do question this approach because no matter how many planets there are, they will eventually run out. But the treatment of earth/nature in Chinese culture is very different, to use your examples: e.g. The peach trees planted by Kua fu: sustaining the future generations and giving back. Nuwa patching the sky symbolizes healing the earth to sustain life. And the idea of sustainability does tie in with the Chinese values that you said because the land is their home, their way of life and their identity are deeply intertwined with the soil, so they have to steward it well. They can’t just exploit all they can from their home and move to a new planet.
As an immigrant in search of connection and grappling with cultural diaspora, your exposition of the Chinese story touched me deeply and gave me a taste of home. Thank you :))
The movie is good from a technical standpoint, although some of the VFX shots were quite cringy.
The main problem is that without a chinese perspective and familiarity, it's quite boring
Keti Mporta
Without a central theme and conflict it would be boring? Wow, who would’ve thought
@@ttime441 What are you on about ?
I'm from Europe and I couldn't get into it, the whole setup felt off. The acting was also over the top, so I couldn't connect at all.
I also love foreign movies like Oldboy and Chungking Express, so it's not like I'm not used to watching foreign movies.
@@Bill-zp2mt That has nothing to do with what I said, what are you on about
@@ttime441 You said "without a central theme and conflict it would be boring ?" Is that a statement or a question ?
Because you wrote it as a statement then added a question mark after, that's why I thought you were challenging Keti Mporta on his views.
Then you add "Wow, who would've thought" Are you having a conversation with your self, or did you just accidentally replied to Keti Mporta statment ?
It shares a lot with the Indian perspective, so I disagree. And you don't have to agree with it to enjoy it. E.g. Thanos's plan is completely stupid in Avengers, but the films are still very enjoyable.
Wonderful and beautiful and deeply insightful. Your explanation of Chinese mythology/philosophy and the connection between the home and family made me extremely curious if you’ve ever explored the difference and similarities between Chinese identity/philosophy and indigenous identity, particularly in Canada, which I know for is home or “home” or a home. With so much increasing conversation around being on indigenous land I’d love to see you explore this at some point.
Unfortunately I can’t think of a Canadian First Nations film that might be interesting for this exploration. The best one in my opinion is “Rhymes For Young Ghouls,” which is on CBC Gem if you are in Canada or have a VPN. Perhaps one of the most popular indigenous films is Whale Rider. In terms of Canadian films, I’d be curious to see you explore Incendies and/or One Week. Keep up the great work!!!
This made me tear up a bit at the end 😳 thanks for another great essay!!
Thanks to your post/story some weeks ago about the movie, I discovered this film and downloaded. Interestingly, when I was talking about the movie to my wife, I compared it with Independence Day too. Your videos are very interesting and throw a fresh perspective on world cinema. Please do suggest some more movies that we can enjoy. Cheers!
Agree to what you said writers goal is not to tell a story but to convey emotions, its the reason why my favorite movie is nobody knows, its the first time ive felt raw emotions watching a film that i cannot forget
If your view of the movie is mainly focused in the Chinese aspects of life and culture, it is like a masterpiece. I only watched it because of this video and because I was so focused on the aspects of Chinese life, culture, and beliefs, it felt real to me.
Once more you have produced a great video essay.I have been watching films from China and Japan since the mid 1980s. And back then it was very hard to get a hold of vhs films but by the very late 80s and early 90s I could go to London and pick up lots of good films.then by 1994 I got a job at blockbuster in my home town and got take as many films home as I liked. So as you can imagine in 2019 its a great time if like me you love films from overseas as they are so easy to view.Sorry this comment is about me but to watch a video series as good as this and about films I have watched and loved for about 33 years all I can now say is that I hope we get more great videos down the line. So keep up the good work and all the best from the UK
yes, thank you. i been far from home like 4-5 years to learn in collage. and when i just come back to hometown..... i normally not really like to cry feels something hit in my feeling. "ah this is the town where i grow up, im really back" and cry just like that.... not even one day when in collage i feel homesick so......its just all of it. that for one week i didnt really go anywhere just around my house and neighbor to say hello.
I thought the difference about this film is that they decided to bring the whole Earth with them rather than just be travelling in a tin can. However, you’re right at expanding those Chinese concepts (the moving mountain part I had always thought it was just about perseverance), the importance getting the next generation after generation to continue the work...
Still as a movie I cringed through a lot of parts and yep... it doesn’t work for me too.
Wow u put so much effort into these videos, thank you so much for making my day!!!
Love your video! In case anybody asking, the opening music is You Are -
Dr Edward Johnson.
Fantastic video and great insight into Chinese culture
When I saw this video after heading back to China for the New Years for the first time in like a decade, I was surprised at just how good it was. Not just for a "Chinese movie", which in my experience has always been overly edited and incredibly cheesy, I think that it is good enough to stand up on its own.
It's great that you explained the social background to it too and how the Chinese people see home as both a physical location and its people, these are things that never occurred to me growing up.
I will check out the rest of your videos and am looking forward to seeing more!
对故事的主题的理解非常到位，顺序条理清晰，非常优秀的影片!! Thank you.
As a Westerner, I never grasped the deeper meaning of the film! I find the Chinese view and philosophy permeating the story to be poignant, but also bearer of hope. Maybe it isn't too late for our planet and nature. Maybe it's never too late.
That would be because the movie does not have a deeper meaning. It is the ultimate proof that chinese popcorn flicks can be just as simple, straight forward and outright dumb as Hollywood ones.
Also, you do realize that the people in this movie KILL all of their planet's biosphere, yes? If you move away from the sun, everything freezes and dies...
@WaddleBuff2 This video makes a claim that there IS a deeper meaning. Does not mean the assertion is true.
Wandering earth is a dumb popcorn flick, which has butchered its source material to the point of it being almost unrecognizeable.For crying out loud, everything the protagonists on the surface do is irrelevant to the ultimate conclusion of the movie. The fusion engine is fixed by someone else, them losing their module is iorrelevant because there is a spare, multiple other engines are converted to fusion engines by the end. Nothing they do mattes and everything they do is a boring, if flashy waste of time for the viewer.
The only people that matter to the plot are the ones on the space station who sacrifice themselves for the good of mankind (and even that only after throwing a hissyfit and burning the embryos). From a narrative standpoint, telling the movie from THEIR perspective would have made a whole of a lot more sense.
But hey, we got a guy shooting Jupiter with a machine gun. Deep meaning right there....
I love how even the guy who tells the 'foolish old man' that moving the mountains is impossible has super saggy earlobes of imperial wisdom. XD
Thanks for sharing your perspectives on this film. I haven't watched it yet but now I understand it on a "deeper" level, perhaps, I need to make time for it. Thanks again
Fascinating and exciting video! Absolutely love it!
it like a 100 score video essay back in college. Keep going on I really like your video.
SO WELL EXPLAIN. APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD WORK
Finally watched this film yesterday! Now I can watch this video essay!
This movies looks pretty good honestly. Not high art of anything, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s got an interesting concept and looks well executed enough. I bet plenty of Americans would watch this if they knew about it honestly.
As long as people are not being too picky about the concept, it's a good story
I love this movie. If humanity can unite and overcome their petty differences, then there's hope to ensuring our survival even in impossible odds
Wonderful video! I really enjoyed the movie and understand it way better now thanks to your essay.
I sincerely wish for more chinese sci-fi movies, since they can tell truely unique stories. Also I‘m a sucker for traditional chinese architecture and would love a crazy sci-fi reimagining of that.
Really great video and puts an interesting spin on a commonly used philosophy that is not thought out by most people who use it in my opinion, as it completely ignores legacy which is heavily destroyed even if a significant number of people survive. History has shown that commonly, if you separate peoples from their home, they become new peoples, with a new name and tradition. In other words, new asgard would likely not be new asgard, due to the fact that the ones who lead that society are dead, leaving only thor. Although they may be inspired by their old civilization to a degree, this leads to new influences and thus a new people/home that is not the same as the old. If home was *just* the people, then the entire population would be the same peoples as we are, though very distant, relatives.
It's pretty funny because in The 3 Body trilogy by Liu Cixin (so, the author of the Wandering Earth), escapism is generaly looked down severly during all the books when, in the end, it's the only solution to the issue at hand (alien annihilation). In 3Body, decades are wasted on ineffective ways to protect the solar system.
While the threat isn't so natural, it's treated as such by virtue of the Dark Forest principle that all must abide. Hence the alien destroying civilizations mere seconds after finding a signal from one.
It's an interesting view of Inter-(galatic)national Relationship because, in the West, only the most hardcore geopoliticians see IR as a sort of monolythic construct that can never change ( hence the famous remark about nations being "unable to escape their geography"). I wonder The 3 Body tells something about how Chinese people/political elites see IR.
It's at least as good as...
-Interstellar-
-WALLE-
-2001: A Space Odessy--
....Independence Day...
lol
Questionable science, Cheesy speech, Nationalistic overtone, Great special effects, Perfect viewing while drunk... Checks out.
@@AccentedCinema It is so spot-on.
I love Independence day ... Which is so weird because I am not an American
I didnt know there were so many hidden meanings and undertones in this movie
That is why, there's culture difference.
cause this film was originally aimed for Chinese market only lol
@@toucancheney9091 It was aimed for the Chinese market, and during spring festival, where every mainland chinese go back to visit their family on the countryside.
@@BingDwenDwen you see，im Chinese
You're, my very dear sir a true believer of cinema.
Liked the film's message. It was much more optimistic than the short story. They both give an insight into Chinese science fiction.
I'm glad you framed the central philosophy behind the movie as a Chinese one.
It's a tradition as far back as Yu the Great, a weird blend of practicality and optimism. And each stride made is a connective fabric of a larger tapestry. So long as the effort and exertion is made it will have geometrical effects.
Dragon's Armory love your channel man
@@andrewcheng2113 💖
You are very knowledgeable and your videos are very well made.
Thankyou for this. As a westerner, when i saw this film it came across to me as a spectacular, but completely nonsensical blockbuster. But hearing about it from a Chinese perspective, alot of the themes and character motivations in the film suddenly make sense.
There's still plenty of flaws in the story (like most sci fi blockbusters, if we're being honest) but i now have a much better appreciation of Wandering Earth, thanks to your video.
Very great analysis as always. Im glad I randomly stumbled upon your videos.
Btw, what is that amazing piano music at the intro?
You Are - Dr Edward Johnson
you are right . this movie is one of a kind. it is not an easy idea bold one as well. hope that this movie had a sequence , stay save guys and be healthy.
Just watched the film because of this video. Well worth the watch.
Yeahhhhhhh!!! Really good videos :))
wow, couldn't believe IH is watching Accented Cinema, greetings from Bandung friend...
Lah, akang dateng :V
Thank you for the insight on this video essay! I loved every part of it! There are great cultural themes in this movie, and so many personal reasons this hit home. But a universal theme I believe impacts us all, is what touched me most.
In the modern world today, along with Liu Cixin's usual movies, we put lots of value on rationalism in main stream culture (as Patchy said in a earlier comment.) In a setting like space, where it is fierce and unforgiving, we face off nature with the deepest part of our being, with the frontier of our soul... Faith, hope, and love. These are the force that pushes humanity through, despite all odds. And it only takes one spark, by one person.
IF WE KNOW ANYTHING about OUR IRRATIONALISM, it's the limits we put on ourselves, and the things we mark impossible. If one was more rational, they would factor in their humanity, strengths and weaknesses. And hope is a strength we all possess that gets us through, even when it seems lost. I imagine Liu Cixin would nod his head to that. Not only do we strive to survive, we strive to LIVE. And we see this theme in many sci-fi films amongst other genres. It is this spark of God that we cherish and value as human beings, and the rationally un-rational risks we take when we imagine a more beautiful future.
"And now these three remain, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1st Corinthians 13:13
I watched this on a tiny screen in a plane, with no subtitles and barely audible audio, it rained inside that flight.
It funny really, u hit it on the nail when it come to Chinese and I think some Vietnamese as well when it come to the feeling they have for the land they born. N seeing clips of Thor Ragnarok, really prove it to me more. I like the conclusion of Thor Ragnarok, plus being Chinese myself I also understand the value of 1 own home/family. That said this isn't about choosing 1 idea over the other, rather it nice to see in the end how different cultures might place it in different places n interpretation but they just want to protect where they can call home no matter what XD. Great video buddy, look forward to more video from u.
great analysis!
That made me get interested in watching the movie