Underplayed Gems

Breaking with Old Ideas (1975)

Breaking with Old Ideas poster
Original title
决裂
Directed by
Li Wenhua
Genre
propaganda film
Country
People's Republic of China
Runtime
2h 08m
Rating
5.3 of 10 from 6 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This Chinese film from 1975 pushes for changes in the country's education system. It shows the struggle between old and new ways of learning during the Cultural Revolution.

educationalpropagandisticearnestdatedpoliticalformalsimplisticcommunity-focused

What happens

Breaking with Old Ideas (also known as The Breakup) is a 1975 Chinese propaganda film directed by Li Wenhua. The film is one of the few that were produced during the Cultural Revolution. As a result of the political upheaval taking place, Breaking with Old Ideas's plot was heavily regulated under highly codified guidelines on story and characterization so that it would have a mass character, as opposed to an individual focused character, namely proletarian politics as opposed to bourgeois politics. The film draws inspiration from issues with schooling in China at the time, such as that there was too much study, and too little social practice. Breaking with Old Ideas was one of the first films that was removed from public viewing after the Gang of Four was overthrown and the educational revolution campaign was ended. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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