Axis of War: My Long March

Introduction

This is the second part of the Axis of War trilogy, financed and produced by the Chinese Government which focuses on significant events that led to the formation of the People's Republic of China. Part one told the story of the Nanching Uprising in 1927. This film, My Long March, focuses on the Long March of 1934, an event that consolidated the reputation of Mao Zedong as leader of the Chinese Communists.

The Long March, which was actually a series of marches rather than just one, was an attempt by the Communist forces to escape the Kuomintang or Chinese Nationalist Army in the Jiangxi province of China in October 1934. Led by a rather inexperienced military commission with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai at the head, the 100, 000 soldiers of the Chinese Communist Army marched to escape using an encircling route to the west and north, traversing an estimated (by Mao Zedong, and since disputed) 12,000 kilometres or 8,000 miles over 370 days. Of the original number, only 8,000 arrived at the final destination of which only 7,000 originally started the march, the rest picked up and enlisted on the way.

The film focuses on a young boy, Rui, who is on the March with his family; his father, sister and brother in law. Rui strikes up a relationship with Chairman Mao and the two become good friends, a relationship that becomes more important to Rui as his family start to fall in action…

Audio

Good choice of either 5.1 Surround or 2.0 Stereo tracks in Cantonese Chinese with English subtitles. I much prefer the use of the original soundtrack to dubbed versions, but it has it's drawbacks sometimes, one of them such as this where the propaganda element of the film becomes clear when the actors start over-acting during melodramatic scenes.

Visual

Looks good but then I guess the Chinese Government aren't going to skimp on films that they're financing about the history of their Republic. Overall some good production values that are inevitably tempered by the propaganda tone of the overall result.

What does let this film down slightly is the use of CGI to portray an bomber attack on the Communist forces. It's a little too simplistic and could have been better but it's a niggling minor point in the context of the whole film.

Overall

It has to be said that, once more despite the obvious propaganda tone of this film, it is a very enjoyable watch and is also much better than its predecessor 1st of August. This film very much focuses on the ascent of Chairman Mao, as seen through the eyes of a young soldier who believes in his leader and the cause despite the high personal cost. This is very much an accurate portrayal of the event in question at least as far as Mao is concerned as whether the events as portrayed are entirely accurate the ascension of Mao as leader of the Chinese Communists was a pivotal outcome that led to the eventual formation of the People's Republic of China with him at its helm.

There are plenty of propaganda moments with the singing of Communist anthems, the portrayal of Mao Zedong as an approachable leader who makes the ultimate sacrifice for his cause, highly emotional mourning sequences where entire sections of the army break down crying over a single death and moral platitudes that exemplify the Communist ideals. Some people may find this a bit much but again, if you take it in context and just focus on the film, you should get a lot out of it.

Despite its aim as a Communist history lesson, its also clear that the makers have also been taking note of Western Hollywood productions as the film is bookended with an older man remembering the events and the people he lost on the Long March, which is very much lifted from Saving Private Ryan even though the actual scenes are different.

Some of the things you learn during the film are a little disturbing as well. Young children were encouraged to join the Communist Army and fight, not even being accepted into the membership of the Party until it was deemed they'd earned it (if they were still alive). Families took part with young women very much part of the fighting force as well as the more traditional nursing roles. In one key sequence, Mao Zedong's young wife gives birth to a son which Mao dictates must be left behind in the hope that the local peasants will bring him up. It's obvious when you think about it, it's extremely unlikely that a young baby would have survived the harsh reality of a forced march of this kind, but it is a shocking sequence when you consider Mao's judgement within minutes of the youngster's arrival.

At times, My Long March is very emotional and severely overacted to emphasis the party lines but in terms of events is accurate enough to give anyone interested a history lesson of one of the defining moments that eventually led to the formation of China as a Communist nation.

Not for everyone, but quite enjoyable if you let it…