Educational Media Reviews Online

China Yellow, China Blue is a remarkable set of two videotapes that provides a broad overview of 20th century China using only newsreel and documentary footage along with a generally even-handed narrative that, rather than betraying a bias for one or another of the socio-political systems under which the country has endured, consistently focuses on the impact of societal and governmental structures on the people. In fact, much of the presentation delineates the dichotomies that have persisted in China, even after the revolution. China Yellow, inland, rural China, the China of the peasants and poverty is set in contrast to China Blue, coastal, urban China, the China once of mandarins and academics, now of party leaders, and always of governmental functionaries.

The first tape covers the period of the last emperors through to Mao's eventual victory over the Nationalist forces. The second tape moves from the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 through to the economic experiments in free markets of the 1990's. Inevitably the coverage of events and periods is uneven, but how could 100 years of the history of hundreds of millions of people be presented in under two hours without such quibbles? The production values are excellent and the footage, especially from the early years, is riveting, truly transporting a Western viewer to a setting that is exotically foreign in both place and time, yet always grounded in the human dimension of the people who are depicted.

China Yellow, China Blue is an excellent introduction to modern China and would be a superb way to generate class discussion. While the subject content would be appropriate for advanced junior high students and above, the graphic footage of public executions, from beheadings to firing squads, may make the set more appropriate for college students and above. Highly recommended!