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Submitted by: Louise and Bob Starring: Chen Yen-Yen, Chang Yih Directed by: Ming-Yau Lo Genre: Black and White This gets 2 go's. It was in black and white and did not have sound. So it just really doesn't compare. Tradition, honor, and respect are words that were used repeatedly in the film, "Song of China." Set in the early 1900's, this film was probably used as propaganda attempting to instill the ideals of Confucius in a society that had just endured the greatest revolution in its history. In a "new China" that just opened its doors to the Westerners, foreign thoughts and beliefs greatly influenced the population. The new generation of the time experimented with ideas that directly violated doctrines that were upheld and revered for thousands of years. The older generation perhaps saw this phenomenon as a threat to the traditional, conservative China and responded with "Song of China." The producers possibly wanted to maintain the ageless tradition by reeducating the masses on the importance of filial piety and obedience to hierarchy. From the opening, the old man's deathbed is an indication of the theme of the rest of the film. While the son rushes back to be by his father's side, his own son abandons his father and child to drink and gamble. The son and the daughter-in-law were repeated portrayed as the villain of this film while the director uses film techniques to emphasize the father's righteousness and honor. By putting the father in the light and his son in the dark, it is very clear that the director intended for the audience to sympathize with the father and even mimic his respect for tradition and Confucian doctrines. This point is further emphasized during the encounter when the son requests his desires to return to the city. During this scene, the grandson was sitting obediently by his grandfather's side studying the Confucius doctrines. The son then enters and asks to interrupt his child's studies and relocate their family back to the city. This central conflict finally resolves when the grandson rejects his parent's unfilial ways and returns o his grandparents. At the finale, the family finally reunites and the son apologizes for his actions and begs for forgiveness. While the text of the film cannot easily be understood, or limited to the literate, the central theme of the film still projects to the audience. The "Song of China" wants the viewers to criticize the ways of the unfilial son and realize that in the end, only the good or the followers of tradition will prevail. Outside of literacy, this film was directed not to a specific gender or age but instead, for all whom is literate and has a family. "Song of China" strives to educate every member of every family about the greatness of old Confucian beliefs. 
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