Customer Reviews

Up the Yangtze

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Yangtze" could be described as the mirror reverse of many popular dramatic stories in which a hero is searching the world to rediscover or rebuild a home. Set in China as the massive Three Gorges Dam was completed, this haunting documentary is the story of a teen-age girl, Yu Shui, who has a warm and loving home -- but winds up homeless in the rapidly shifting landscape of modern China.

The documentary comes to DVD, via Zeitgeist Films, with an impressive pedigree. The PBS network aired it nationally. Various regional film festivals bestowed honors. Critics love the film.

It's an amazing piece of documentary filmmaking, because we see footage shot by candlelight in Yu Shui's tiny ramshackle farmhouse along the Yangtze River. Her parents know that the level of the Yangtze is about to rise dramatically, when the enormous dam is completed. They know that their tiny farm will be washed away. Meanwhile, Yu Shui is contemplating her own dreams of training for a profession.

Over a meager family dinner of noodles one evening, she dares to tell her parents that she hopes to continue her education because she knows that China needs "talented, educated" young people. She's hoping to become a professional and wants to help shape the world's future, she explains.

But her parents are illiterate. Their family situation is dire. They tell her that her plans must be put on hold.

Instead, Yu Shui is signed onto one of the luxury cruise ships that now carry tourists down the ever-widening Yangtze River. She is renamed Cindy, given a uniform and a small bunk on a lower deck of the big ship and sent into the kitchen to wash dishes. Eventually, she is taught how to interact with American guests and is allowed to help serve food in the dining room.

She longs to return home and, on a couple of occasions, she manages to return to the tiny family farm for emotional reunions. But the Three Gorges Dam, an enormous power plant, is nearing completion. We see signs popping up throughout the film of the looming floods that will vastly increase the depth and width of the river.

The documentary would be unbearable to watch if Cindy's new managers on the cruise ship were evil task masters. They aren't. In fact, they're compassionate adults, trying to make their own future in China's rapidly changing culture.

I won't spoil the end of the film by describing exactly what transpires -- but you won't forget the final scenes.

This documentary show a segment of tourism in China today. It shows the changing family life and widely divergent cultures of American tourists and the Chinese who are supporting the travel cruises. I travelled with the same ship/crew on the Yangtze and was suprised by how accurately the personalities were shown. This is an excellent look at China's youth and the new capitalism in China.

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.

I've always been fascinated with the culture of China; developments and modernization have certainly taken a toll on revered traditions and history. Let's not forget the very human turmoil that has developed as a result of the building of the Three Gorges Dam. Two million people were displaced, though the film suggests that the government built new homes for those people. Much of "Up the Yangtze" seems staged or dramatized, but the essential gut-wrenching idea of cultural upheaval is well examined. I only heard of this film because of its nomination for Best Documentary at the 2008 Indie Spirit awards. I've since learned it wasn't eligible for Academy consideration because it was shown on TV. The DVD extras were fine, especially the stop-motion vision of the great river drowning the gorgeous countryside. The many deleted scenes were also instructive. I don't know the name of the very large city that was portrayed throughout (someone help me here), but it showed the cross-section of high class glitz countered by horrendous slum conditions (like ALL very large cities). I would recommend this film to anyone interested in Chinese culture. There wasn't enough said about the necessity of the Dam, and there was some fine footage of regular citizens' protest over the whole ordeal. Worth a look... Does ANYONE know the name of that big city that ended up underwater?

I had the unique experience to spend 6 months working on a cruise ship on the Yangtze river in 2006 (Not the one in the movie). As an American, I was able to associate with all members of the crew from the housekeeping staff up through the top manager on the ship. I felt that this documentary did well of showing the lives of a few select people along the Yangtze river, and of life on a cruise ship. I also believe, however, that the documentary does have an agenda and thus leads the viewer to believe that everyone along the Yangtze had the same experience. From my experience there were some families like those shown in the movie, but it was not representative of most of the people living there.

So, my recommendation is DO watch the movie, but remember that it does not necessarily represent the feelings of every person that has lived or worked along the Yangtze.

Very moving and emotional, nice view of the yangtze river. A must see film. Highly recommended.

I wrote a lenghty paper on the environmental impacts of the 3 Gorges Dam and during the course of my research I came across this fantastic doco. It is simply visually stunning; a grain of salt or 1000 here and you will appreciate the sheer...emotional magnitude... of the project; nationality aside.

Fascinating, unvarnished look at not only the changing shape of one of the world's greatest rivers, but also of modern China in transition. This dramatic documentary captures the angst and tension in families and individuals as they cope with the realities of making a living and the desire to present a positive image of China to the world.

Follows the Yu family as the Three Gorges Dam reservoir is filled and their lives changed. The parents are illiterate (probably because of the Cultural Revolution chaos) and cannot earn enough to send oldest daughter Yu Shui to high school; she takes work on a foreign tourist cruise boat that plys the nearby river. Her initial experience is one of homesickness and disappointment, but a few friendly crew members and management guide her out of her shell. A fellow, more outgoing and much better paid crew-member, on the other hand, is sacked for being conceited. I was also impressed by Yu Shui's younger brother, and his commitment to education - studying by candlelight with his even younger sister and hoping to attend high school as well.

Meanwhile, the reservoir behind the dam slowly rises, threatening, then overtaking the Yu family home self-built home. The family is relocated into a new apartment, but it is hardly anything to brag about. They also lose the land they were farming on, and now have to pay for both vegetables and water that were free before. We also see government-provided tours of how people are relocated - some do much better than the Yu family, but their are also grumbling references to corruption by officials.

A thought-provoking documentary about the changes in China, following the lives of one rich boy and one poor girl working on a cruise ship. Films like this widen our perspectives. Loved it.