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Made in China - "Manufactured Landscapes" , "The World", and "Blind Shaft"

I've always wondered where all the stuff I buy is coming from.  I found some answers in, and more to the point was moved by, these movies.

Manufactured Landscapes is a terrific introduction to the work of Edward Burtynsky.  His photographs of Industrial Landscapes are simply stunning.


Here's the plot synopsis from All Movie Guide:

Documentarian Jennifer Baichwal's latest film, Manufactured Landscapes, represents a multifaceted effort. The picture ostensibly provides a thought-provoking investigation of photographer Edward Burtynsky's legacy, with its aesthetic studies of industrial landscapes. But Baichwal's documentary probes deeper than a mere surface-level glimpse of Burtynsky's life and work. It uses the topic of Burtynsky as a springboard, segueing, from there, into a protracted exploration of "the aesthetic, social and spiritual dimensions of industrialization and globalization." Whereas Burtynsky's photographs reveal human beings dwarfed by the massive industrialized landscape that surrounds them, Baichwal (much as Louis Malle did in his Humain, trop Humain) sheds a light on the tedium and monotony suffered by workers who are assigned small components of huge manufacturing processes, and must endure the repetitive work that it entails. She and cinematographer Peter Mettler also travel to China and Bangladesh - the corner of the world that serves as a destination for much of the west's industrial waste - and convey the devastating impact that corporate disposal makes on indigenes - such as the two young men who must wade around, waist deep, in toxic sludge while tearing ships apart with their bare hands. The picture thus raises some significant and sobering questions about the impact that we, as humans, make on our environment.

In a similar vein is the movie The World by Jia Zhang-ke.  It's unlike any other Chinese movie I'd seen before, both in style and content, and is a wonderful introduction to modern China. 

As Jonathan Rosenbaum said in his review:

The title of Jia Zhang-ke's 2004 masterpiece, The World -- a film that's hilarious and upsetting, epic and dystopian -- is an ironic pun and a metaphor. It's also the name of the real theme park outside Beijing where most of the action is set and practically all its characters work. "See the world without ever leaving Beijing" is one slogan for the 115-acre park, where a monorail circles scaled-down replicas of the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, London Bridge, Saint Mark's Square, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pyramids, and even a Lower Manhattan complete with the Twin Towers. Extravagant kitsch like this may offer momentary escape from the everyday, but Jia is interested in showing the everyday activities needed to hold this kitsch in place as well as the alienation in this displaced world -- and therefore in the world in general, including the one we know.

And finally there's Blind Shaft.  I described it as a Coen Brothers remake of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre set in modern China, but as colorful as that sounds, you might want a real critic to weigh in before you watch it.

How about this?  All of the Experts at Rotten Tomatoes think it's perfect!

Synopsis: With a suspenseful plotline that keeps viewers glued to the screen awaiting each new development in this harsh tale of miners and murder in northern China, BLIND SHAFT depicts desperate men who will do anything for money. Controversial in its commentary on China's social problems, with characters poisoned by greed and infidelity having abandoned their families and lost any sense of dignity, the story is anything but simple. Mid-way through, the film it takes an endearing turn that changes the plotline into a true morality tale, which is followed up by a completely unexpected ending.

posted by Bruce

On the Fourth of July

Heidi took this picture up on her roof and asked what I thought of it.

In light of any number of violations of the Constitution by high level US Gov. officials here's what I came up with.

I'd say that the US Constitution is irrelevant.  It's an effective method of social control;  for many people it serves the same function as the bible does for the religious fundamentalists.  It's the ultimate Authority.

When I see that the clowns who run things are bound by the Constitution, I'll do my part and start believing that it's more than a lovely historical document.

See Glenn Greenwald's latest post for all the details.

posted by Bruce

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