Product Details

• Format: Color, Dolby, Anamorphic, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Discovery Channel
• DVD Release Date: July 22, 2008
• Run Time: 264 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0017VG5ZK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,008 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

CHINA RISES:BEHIND THE GREAT WALL - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, yet, somewhat shallow, December 1, 2011

By 

Jean Le Lupi (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: China Rises: A Documentary in Four Parts (DVD)

The film is a great introduction for the un-initiated in the current state of affairs in China. I visited China about 5 times now and the film did not show much that I did not know. I wish it went deeper in the fabric and the mentality of the Chinese society.

I also recommend
China's Century of Humiliation

for a much more comprehensive look at the historical background that still shapes the ideology of the Chinese leaders today.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fair Portrayal, March 19, 2010

By 

S. bir "pandahugger" (texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: China Rises: A Documentary in Four Parts (DVD)

The four-part documentary is well done, breaking the phenomenon that is modern China up into its 4 vital parts and examining them closely. The representation is fair, and each segment is well-paced. The bonus disc - the Great Wall, is also well recounted... except for the actors speaking with a fake Chinese accent: why not hire English speaking Chinese for the parts?

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Superifical look at China, August 14, 2011

By 

L. Sun (Cali, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: China Rises: A Documentary in Four Parts (DVD)

This series gives a good overview of the problems facing modern china. It mainly focuses on the problems rather than the accomplishments over the last 40 years in china. The series really goes out of the way to emphasize the negatives aspects of modernization. For example, in all 4 episodes they mostly focus on the less fortunate and poorer segments of chinese society. The video lashes out against the "rich" for having "opportunity" and leaving the poor behind. Despite the fact that most of the CEOs and rich in the video came from poor and humble backgrounds. This series very much plays to an liberal audience and if you are progressive then you would enjoy it very much.

The series superficially interviews the more well to do. In fact the series completely ignores the regular middle class and upper middle class segments of china. They try very hard to push the "too big of a gap between the rich and poor" agenda. After watching all four episodes, it is quite clear that Chinese society is portrayed as a two dimensions (rich/poor) entity and not much else. This is either due to bias or laziness on the part of the producers to go into more depth.


Pros: The series does a decent job of showing the audience the problems that come with modernization. It dedicates a good amount of time on the life of farmers.

Cons:
The series really doesn't go into depth about the history and geopolitical circumstances surrounding the development of china. It doesn't tell you the accomplishments of the government in the past 40 years. It doesn't tell you what the reform really means. It doesn't show the circumstances surrounding the cultural revolution nor the circumstances that led to the reform. Therefore the most you will get out of this video is a superficial understanding, at best, of the problems and achievements of China in the last 40 years.