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Showing all 39 reviews...
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I found it very touching and well made. Digging deep into the personal effects on two different Chinese families. The only thing I felt was missing was the explanation as to why they were building this damn in the first place. There was one line about a shipping root from north to south. But they primarily focused on the tourism industry.
8/10
11.3.2008 -
emmetation@ - age: 26-35
A true tale of struggle and change. Two opposite families headed to the same destination shows the parralels betweeen the "haves" and the "have-nots" in a pseudo capitalist comunist China.
9/10
10.13.2008 -
_northstar_@ - age: 26-35
Caught the re-release of Up the Yangtze at the movie complex. Can't repeat how much I love this movie especially after watching one full month of fantastic Beijing Olympics!
10/10
8.26.2008 -
mcclintockjim777@ - age: 50+
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I am astounded by the reactions of some of these reviews. It almost appears that they were written by the same person. (I wonder...) How can you react with such revulsion when this documentary or movie or piece of art touches the breadth of humanity? Up The Yangtze is an accomplished documentary film. How can one even assume that it is scripted? How could one even attempt to write a script such as this? My friend, this film I believe has touched you deeply, as it did me. I believe you need to be open-minded, to bear witness to the balance and tenderness in which the film director has approached his subjects. This film is deserved of its accolades because it goes beyond the hackneyed associations we place on China. This film is a sensitive portrayal of the Chinese experience. May I suggest one pursue avenues of research, potentially to the film's website. There you will discover, as I have, the plethora of information on the making of the movie. I found it very interesting and enriching. Up The Yangtze stirred unimaginable emotions in me.
10/10
8.26.2008 -
crazyforcinema@ - age: 50+
A stunning film. Breathtaking cinematography and beautiful narration.
9/10
8.19.2008 -
arshadfilms@
This movie gives an excellent insight in the ever so changing China and the disasters of political decisions for the masses upon the little man. Also the point of view of the polished Chinese tourist industry and how this is an opportunity but also an awful environment for the young people who wants to work their way into the future. You will be touched in your heart and mind by this beautiful story.
9/10
8.16.2008 -
jb@ - age: 26-35
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With incredible visuals, Up the Yangtze is an amazingly honest documentary about modern China and the changes affecting it. In what is easily the most honest documentary I have ever seen and perhaps also the best, this movie simply presents stories and tragedy and never bores you with statistics. The Yangtze river is stuff of legend and is now transformed beyond recognition. The Canadian filmmaker Yung Cheng has made a witty yet profounding disturbing documentary about his grandfather's homeland. Another public blow to the image of China in a time when the country is right in the world's spotlight. I was worried this would be simply a movie on the environmental impact of the construction of the dam, and was amazed that the movie doesn't even touch on that aspect at ALL. It is completely a film covering the CULTURAL impact of this dam's construction. It is simply an erasure of history and is tragic beyond words. I think one of the film's strongest remarks is one that left most of the other theatre-goers confused: the movie doesn't even pretend to know where China is going with its economic boom and expansion. This is a raw strength of the movie in how it plunges you into the unknown. You may quite possibly leave the theatre wondering what the point of the film was, but there doesn't really have to be one. Easily one of the best films of the year and I strongly recommend it. I was amazed at the access the filmmaker got and could thus film amazing moments of pure honesty and empathy.
10/10
8.14.2008 -
patrick,sullivan@ - age: 26-35
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This piece of banal tripe was in no way a documentary. So much could have been done with the premise but sadly instead both the Chinese people and the tourists were portrayed as lobotomised imbeciles. Very insulting!
1/10
7.1.2008 -
machaggis@ - age: 36-49
This was not a documentary at ALL and came across like a scripted reality TV show by the National Film Board... or more precisely the Quebec Film Board. An insult to the intelligent minority that obviously exists in this region judging from the inexplicable amount of 10 scores on reviews. The whole thing came across as a "mockumentary".
1/10
7.1.2008 -
caberius@ - age: 50+
This a documentary or what I was still shocked when I left the cinema I want my money backk.
1/10
4.16.2008 -
susan_01@ - age: 36-49
Ironically, this film lacked focus and at the same time had a very narrow view of some huge issues. Trying to tell the story of what's happening in China through the eyes of two individuals is naive at best. The result is a claustrophobic, slow moving, depressing documentary with no vision or hope for the future. He could've done so much more with it.
6/10
4.13.2008 -
pollyanna19@ - age: 50+
So well done!! Having been on this cruise years ago, it shows the impact on a local family. Great to see the passage of time that took place in the making of this film.
10/10
4.13.2008 -
sacoster@ - age: 50+
Omg... it's a GREAttt movie... best ever!! Gotta watch it!!!
10/10
4.9.2008 -
zln2839@ - age: 13-17
What a touching and excellent documentary. I recommend anyone to see it, except perhaps young children might not be too interested.
10/10
4.7.2008 -
carambadebamba@ - age: 26-35
Having worked for a short time at one of the companies who were engineering this project and my own personal visit to this hauntingly beautiful country, I was touched with the realistic yet sensitive view of China. Powerful and stunning visuals with faithful and meaningful message. A Classic. Years from now, college students will be studying this movie as a required course.
10/10
4.5.2008 -
terrieconway@ - age: 50+
This is an important film. Last evening we were fortunate (a total surprise) to have the producers be at the theatre after the movie. They were very generous with their time in responding to questions and comments from the audiance. They are also involved in the main characters lives by helping them financial with donations and the sale of t-shirts and music cds. Spread the word.
10/10
3.30.2008 -
audreymcl@ - age: 50+
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So many have written so well about this film anything that I add will only be redundant. However having said that I have to add this' I am a tour guide, and for 4 years I was one of those guides that escorted 'rich' tourists to China to get a final glimpse of the Three Gorges ' before it was totally submerged. Every tour was advertised as "your last chance to see what progress is destroying" it was the in thing to do when these boat tours started. The boats were always packed. Every character in that film duplicates individuals I knew in person during my times in China. The poor people struggling in one room shacks to survive, they are still in the millions, the arrogant boy who sees the tourists as 'smelly white people ready to be fleeced' he was on every boat. He too exists in the thousands. It is a corrupt environment, and life is cheap. The rich and powerful increase their wealth and power and the poor die daily. I assure you this movie is so true to life, it shows you cameos of what happens everyday over and over, and is always being pushed under the rug to present a glitzy progressive lifestyle to the visitors. The one big disadvantage that the director had was that he had to edit this so that you and I could sit through it without being exhausted. I assure you he could have elaborated for another two hours easily and still you would not have seen anywhere near the total devastation that is taking place everywhere over there... there is so much that you will never be allowed to see. He did an amazing job with what you saw and this should get a HUGE award, somewhere. It gets my vote.
10/10
3.25.2008 -
redguide@ - age: 50+
Amazing cinematography, and a heart-wrenching, emotional story told in a beautiful and poetic way. This documentary is definitely worth to seeing, and there is so much to learn about others and ourselves. Simply wonderful!
10/10
3.19.2008 -
ho,miranda@ - age: 18-25
If the director was interested in poverty, we have enough here, in Montréal - 2-3 streets away from any decent place he could find the absolute poverty and the perfect misery. If he was interested to present China, this is not the most representative story about it (the average people don’t live like that) I never understood why we (the occidentals) have this perverse preference of saving the world instead of saving our 2 doors far neighbour. I don’t know if the spectacle of human suffering makes us feeling better with our comfortable life, but I know that this is shortest way to success in cinema …. Unfortunately!
6/10
3.13.2008 -
cls4650@ - age: 36-49
I loved this flick. It's neither choppy nor annoying and I think that is an unfair assessment of a canadian independent film that is kicking butt at the box office. We should support these movies cuz there really is nothing else to watch in the cineplex these days. This movie is moving and sucks you into the world of these chinese peeps. Go see it for urself. Anyway, these reviews are so bad - no one should listen to our advice but go of your own accord.
10/10
3.10.2008 -
tperkins38@ - age: 26-35
Obviously the message is important, and the film also manages to give a realistic and emotive representation of Chinese society today. However, the plot of the movie itself seemed quite choppy, and some of the scenes were clearly staged. The movie was too all over the place to be an in depth story of a family, but too narrowly focused to be a broad documentary; it is annoyingly slow at parts. Nevertheless, well worth seeing.
6/10
3.10.2008 -
f_erken@ - age: 18-25
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I saw this film the other day. I was on one of these cruises. My wife and I had a wonderful experience on the cruise but we had an inkling that we weren't seeing all that meets the eye. Now after watching this excellent film, do we get a sense of the severity of the three gorges dam project. I really appreciate that the filmmaker was not being didactic or preachy. He treats everyone in the film fairly and lets them speak for themselves. It takes a lot for someone to do that these days. To let us, the audience think about the film, china, progress and make our own conclusions and questions makes you experience the event. The movie sucks you in as you root for the family and wish the worst for the arrogant boy. Bravo to the maker's of this film. We need more of this kind of production. All the best, jim and mary.
10/10
3.9.2008 -
mcclintock,jim@ - age: 50+
What a daring, beautiful and moving film. Up the Yangtze is one my top 10 list of best documentary films ever made. It plays like a narrative fiction which one of its greatest strengths. The drama is intense and will keep you riveted throughout. The movie rocked me to the core of my being and even 1 week to the day I saw the film, am I still reverberating from unforgettable images of China. I will go see it again. This is an important movie. I will not try to dissuade you to see the film, unlike some preposterous reviews in this page, but would like you to experience a cinematic powerhouse. There is no doubt in my mind, that this movie will stand the test of time as a document of a moment in history. A magnificent film capturing an unprecedented event.
10/10
3.9.2008 -
samantha,tompkins@ - age: 50+
A touching and poetic documentary, heart-wrenching at parts, humourous at times. Looks so remote, yet feels so close. Hard to believe this is a work from such a young director. Go see it now, Canadian.
10/10
3.7.2008 -
ng_pj94000@ - age: 26-35
China: modern cities in a middle aged society; ruled by communists with capitalist ambitions. The money is supposed to trickle down all the way to the simple peasant, but the $$ never gets there. If you don't have anything to bribe the authorities with, good luck. As a documentary, I didn't find ‘Up the Yangtze. To be very informative or well researched. Yes, it has sad scenes and you get to 'feel' the difference between the old and the new Chinese generations. While tourists are eating well, the poor almost starve by the river. Wonder how I will feel next time I'm in the Dominican Republic. Overall, worth at best 6½, but wait t'ill it plays on the discovery channel.
6/10
3.6.2008 -
black,jack@ - age: 50+
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