UP THE YANGTZE - 2007
RATED - NR but PG in other countries. Might get PG-13 rating here due to fair number of 'f' words by one of the main characters. Since he is Chinese speaking the word appears in the subtitle each time. Otherwise, very family friendly. Subtitles are only used for Chinese speaking characters, roughly half the dialogue.
RATINGS - 6 Amazon (4.5/5), 28,675 Netflix (3.5/5), 891 IMDB (7.4/10).
AWARDS - Won or was nominated for many awards at various film festivals including Sundance.
STORY - The film is a documentary primarily about a Chinese family living in the town of Fengdu on the Yangtze River. The world's largest dam project, The Three Gorges Dam, will displace about two million people who live along the river when it is completed. Is this progress or destruction? The film does not attempt to answer the question. It simply tells the story of this family and several others whose lives are affected by the new dam. Yu Shui, the 16 year old daughter, wants to be the first to go on to higher education after finishing middle school. The family, however, knows their future is changing as their home (shack really) on the river will soon be underwater when the dam is completed. That means they will have to rent somewhere and will no longer be able to grow their own food. Yu will have to go to work and earn money to go to school. The film follows this shy, young girl and another, outgoing, young man as they are hired by a luxury cruise ship on the Yangtze catering to wealthy European and North American tourists. They must both learn how to please (cater to) these visitors. Her parents also must cope with the changes happening in their lives. This is a film about real people whose lives are being changed by forces beyond their control and they must adapt to a lifestyle that is both unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The contrast between these people and the 'westernized' Chinese of the larger cities that they visit on the ship's itinerary is also portrayed. As China's economy grows and they gain access to more and more of the world's goods and services, the people, whether they want to or not, are being forced to change. The film doesn't judge the merits, it simply tells the stories. One more opportunity to get acquainted with people from this giant country that has come on to the world stage with such great force. Like it or not, we need to know as much as we can about the people we are joined with at the hip in so many ways. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 03/28/2010.
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