Essay Plans Flashcards
Tietou as a victim
- He loses everyone
- He suffers at the hands of the Party
- He loses his innocence
Shujuan as a victim
- She loses everyone close to her
- She can’t live the life she wants
- She struggles to raise a child and tries to keep the family together
Shaolong as a victim
- His relationship with Tietou is influenced
- He gets sent to the labour camp, betrayed by his friends and dies
Guodong as a victim
- He betrays his friend
- He undergoes psychological manipulation
- He dies from liver problems due to malnourishment
Lao Wu as a victim
- He loses the stability of his job
- He loses the safety of his home and is a direct victim of the Red Guards
Lao Wu and Tietou’s relationship
Tietou is cold with Laowu at first
Plays a practical role in Tietou’s life
Mrs Lan as a victim
- A target of the party due to social status
- Her home has been impacted
- She is forced to conform to the blue workers outfit
Shusheng as a victim
- Shusheng loses his eyesight/ health deteriorates
- Relationship with Zhuying is affected
Zhu Ying as a victim
- Zhu Ying loses her job and can’t pursue her interests
- She is sent to prison
- Relationship with Shusheng is affected
Shujuan as a victim introduction/conclusion
Throughout the film, we realise Shujuan’s strength of character as, despite losing everyone close to her, she manages to carry on and continue life as normal for example after Shaolong’s death, she goes out to shovel the coal in winter - doing the jobs that Shaolong would have done.
Shaolong as a victim introduction/conclusion
- Shaolong is Shujuan’s first husband, and Tietou’s first father figure. He is Shujuan’s only husband who she actually loves. He is a victim of the Party, as he is labelled a rightist, and is subsequently sent to do manual labour.
- Shaolong is the first main character to succumb the Party’s brutal policies, and represents the effect the hundred flowers campaign had on Chinese people.
Guodong as a victim introduction/conclusion
- He provided for the family and supported Shujuan when she was recovering from Shaolong’s death.
- His character demonstrates how the party psychologically manipulates its citizens as he blames himself for Shaolong’s death.
- His death is also indirectly caused by the Great Leap Forward and the poor living conditions that he had to endure, and this perhaps also reflects the deterioration in his mental well-being – he is transformed from a content man to someone who is extremely guild-ridden.
Lao Wu as a victim introduction/conclusion
Lao Wu’s position as an intellectual becomes increasingly threatened and he divorces Shujuan. Lao Wu’s character in the film highlights the innocent people who are killed during the cultural revolution
Lao Wu and Tietou’s relationship introduction/conclusion
Lao Wu plays a practical role in Tietou’s life. This is seen when Shujuan marries him to ensure her son has a better life. At first their relationship is rocky, but towards the end their relationship develops. However, Tietou has another father figure taken away from him yet again as Lao Wu becomes a victim
Mrs Lan as a victim introduction/conclusion
Mrs Lan is the courtyard landlade and is an example of an innocent citizen who has become a target of the Party. Despite having amicable relationships with the community, she is regarded as an intellectual and due to her high social status, the community chief tries to turn the community against her.
Shusheng introduction/conclusion
Shusheng is a member of the party. Due to his worsening eyesight he offers an interesting perspective into the workings of the CCP and helps to guide the other characters and maintain their morals.
Shuyan as a victim introduction/conclusion
Shuyan is an art student who gets sent away to forced labour camps for criticising the Party during the Hundreds Flower Campaign. Shuyan is in the film to represent one of the many innocent people penalised (tortured and even killed) for following Mao’s order to give criticism to the Party.
Shuyan as a victim
- He can’t be an artist anymore
- He’s rejected by society
- His relationship with older sister is bad
- He can’t marry his girlfriend since she doesn’t fit the ideal standards of a wife
Older generation (e.g Local granny & the mum) as a victim introduction/conclusion
Towards the end of the film, when she is talking alone with Shujuan, who is clearly struggling with grief and the pressure of the political situation, the mum does her best to make Shujuan feel better, even though she clearly doesn’t understand the new political landscape. This shows how she cares about her children, unlike the Party that expects to be put first
Older generation (e.g Local granny & the mum) as a victim
- They lose their family members
- They feel isolate and don’t understand what’s going on
Differences in generation
- Older generation keep to old traditions and haven’t been affected by politics
- differences in opinions (big sis and Shuyan)
- older generation are unknowledgeable about party
Older sister as a victim introduction/conclusion
- Big sis’ role is to be the voice of the party and to always advocate for the party rules and ideologies. Additionally, during the film she is mostly always the one to bring up political discussion at family dinners and intimate moments. She even gets into arguments.
- She adds to the theme of how politics influences the lives of ordinary people. She is also an example of how brainwashing Mao and the party can be. She never says anything bad about the party because she believes that the party will always do the best for the Chinese people
- She is however denounced at the end showing that no one is safe from the Party since even her loyalty can’t protect her.
Older sister as a victim
- Indoctrinated by the Party
- Her Party beliefs impacts her relationships
Community chief as a victim
The voice of the Party and has the party ideal characteristics
Relationship of older sister and Shuyan
Relationship of Tietou and Shujuan
- It’s strong despite all the politics (strength of mother-son)
- It’s changing due to politics (talk about the end)
Relationship of Tietou and 3 fathers
- Shaolong: rectification movement
- Guodong: the Great Leap forward
- Lao Wu: Cultural Revolution
How does the director show the theme of neighbourhood and community?
How does the director show the theme of political brutality?
Through Red Guards
How does the director show the impact of politics on ordinary life?
How does the director show how fear influences the actions of the people?
How does the director show the extent of the Party’s power?
How does the director show the role of propaganda?
- Propaganda shows the brainwashing and indoctrination (empowers and enforces the Party’s will)
- Propaganda shows the little freedom they have (invasion of private lives)
- Propaganda is a Physical representation of the government and CCP- passes message from government - communication and influences the people’s action
Assess the ways in which Propaganda influences the actions of people?
- Impacts their relationships (Guodong betrays)
- Impacts the younger generation
- Impacts the characters health and lives (Death)
How does the director present food and meals?
- Food represents comfort and is in private
- Lack of food
- Politics has infiltrated food and is public
How does the director present change and tradition?
- food
- ## older generation
How does the director present emotions?
- Fear/despair/anxiety
- Patriotism
- Love/connection/hope for the younger generation
- Anger/violence
- Confusion
How does the director use symbolism?
The blue kite
The red veil
The broken horse
The red banner
The dried well
How does the director use location?
Train station
Prison, factory
School
Courtyard
Communal kitchen
Library
Forest
Lao Wu’s house
How are the different political movements presented in the film?
Rectification movement and Hundred Flower’s campaign
Collectivisation/Sparrowcide
Great Leap Forward
Cultural Revolution
How is juxtaposition used in the film?
Mother vs father relationship
Light vs dark
Hope vs despair/betrayal vs love
Freedom vs governed by the Party
Red vs blue
Political views (older sis vs Shuyan)
Older sister vs the rest of the family
Differences in status in society
Difference in generation
Difference in the treatment of women and men
To what extent is The Blue kite a story of failed patriarchy?
Yes (mother vs father, women are strong, Mrs Lan in position of power, big sis is voice of party, father figures are replaceable, men fail a prominent father figure)
No (treatment by government officials, Zhuying, Shujuan as a maid)
How are the differences between the older and younger generation presented?
- Older generation keep to old traditions and haven’t been affected by politics
- The older generation are not involved in politics and are isolated
- Middle generation vs older generation (opposing attitudes to politics)
- Violence vs younger generation (innocence & vulerability)
How is private vs public presented?
To what extent is The Blue Kite ultimately a negative film?
No:
- mother and son relationship throughout hardships
- moments of celebration and hope (marriage. Fireworks)
- sense of community (sharing food)
- hope for new generation (Niu Niu)
Yes:
- sense of community is broken (everyone leaves the courtyard)
- lack of food
- death
- imprisonment
- cinematography: dark, cold
-
Big sis vs Shujuan political opinions
The juxtaposition of the way in which Mao’s policies are interpreted from society. For example, characters like Big Sis embrace suppression as liberation; however Local Granny sees it for what it really is.
People that thrive under the political pressure e.g. big sis, vs those who can’t handle it, Li Yonggang
