China: The History And The Mystery

From the producers of The Rise & Fall Of The Soviet Union (reviewed in the July-August 1992 issue) comes this nicely packaged two-volume overview of China. The first volume, which covers ancient history through a portion of WWII, offers a good general introduction to both Chinese history and culture. Familiarizing viewers with the early dynasties, followed by the emperors, the program also touches on philosophy and the arts (Confucius, Lao-Tzu, the I Ching, calligraphy, theatre, etc.), the prevailing religions of Buddhism and Taoism, and the geography of China. The downfall of the dynastic reigns, chronicled in the feature film The Last Emperor, led to the rise of nationalist China under the guidance of Sun Yat-sen and later, Chiang Kai-shek. The first volume concludes with the war against encroaching Japan and the uneasy alliance between Chiang and Communist newcomer Mao Tse-tung, and includes some graphic footage of Japanese atrocities carried out against the Chinese. The second volume is less well organized. Opening with American aid to the Chinese in the form of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell and his troops, the program covers the victory of the Communist party, the horror of the Cultural Revolution, and the tragedy in Tienanmen Square. The cultural information is not as smoothly integrated, however, as it is in the opening volume. One set of sequences goes from a senile Mao meeting and not recognizing President Ford to a piece on acupuncture to the imprisonment of the Gang of Four. And in a later section on marriage, a brief portion of the audio on our review copy was faulty. Still, there are not many overviews of China floating around and this one does do the job with some flaws. Recommended, with reservations. (Available from: Library Distributors of America, Inc., P.O. Box 97598, Las Vegas, NV 89193-7598; (800) 966-5130; FAX (800) 899-1750.)