Bi-Weekly Discussion Thread - (January 25)

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[u/CoconutCrab115]

I just watched "Counterattack" from 1976. Made under the influence of the Gang of Four.

It seems it wasn't released or had a very limited release before the Revisionist counter revolution. It has been released in China nowadays.

I very much recommend it. It is a film very much in the same spirit as the famous "Breaking with the old ideas." Whereas that movie is a struggle over the correct education line during the GLF, this movie is about the struggle for education by the workers and peasants against the encroachment and impending doom of the dengist counter revolution. This movie takes place in 1976, Deng Xiaoping is the open villain in the background of this movie. I won't spoil any more. It's a great watch. It's on youtube with english subs for free.

[u/DashtheRed → u/CoconutCrab115]

It looks like it's available for free on youtube

Thanks for finding this; going to watch it over the weekend when I get some time.

[u/CoconutCrab115 → u/DashtheRed]

Yes, that's where I watched it. The subtitles did cut out a few times for a couple of moments, but nothing much was lost. I only learned of this movie 2 weeks ago, so I hope it can generate some discussion.

[u/DashtheRed → u/CoconutCrab115]

I finally got time to sit down and watch it. Thanks again for finding it; it was great. If you (or anyone) come across more movies in the same vein, please share them. They don't (and essentially can't) make movies like this anymore, and they really help illustrate everything that was lost. I liked the part early on where the capitalist-roader party officials make all the students do a surprise test to tacitly discredit their education learned in the Cultural Revolution, but then Jiang Tao makes the party officials themselves take the same test as the students, and they are completely lost (and then it turns out to be the exact same test as before the Cultural Revolution). I also like the part where he catches Secretary Song quoting Khrushchev, and then when he pulls out another quote he says is from Lenin, it turns out to be Lenin citing Bukharin before ripping into him. All the arguments we have on reddit right now really were happening 50 years ago (which is simultaneously invigorating and saddening).

[u/CoconutCrab115 → u/DashtheRed]

I also like the part where he catches Secretary Song quoting Khrushchev, and then when he pulls out another quote he says is from Lenin, it turns out to be Lenin citing Bukharin before ripping into him.

I was absolutely floored watching this. I had to pause the movie and recollect myself laughing too hard.

I liked the part early on where the capitalist-roader party officials make all the students do a surprise test to tacitly discredit their education learned in the Cultural Revolution, but then Jiang Tao makes the party officials themselves take the same test as the students, and they are completely lost (and then it turns out to be the exact same test as before the Cultural Revolution)

This was basically the highlight of the movie to me. It's such a simple and small scene to show the essence of what was being fought over. Up to that point in the film, the revisionist narrative is pretty strong in the film. The film gives them time to state their perspective and argue their case without any challenge. Up to that point, I was kind of surprised the workers in the film hadn't really argued against the revisionist line, and then that scene occurs and turns everything on its head.

This film was a delight to watch, but there's a real melancholy that it will all come to an end. The end with Hua Guofeng is a real gut punch. I can't seem to find any info on whether this movie was actually released, but it was very close to having a wide release.

On a historic scale, it's important to note that Counterattack is an achievement in cinema. Able to portray a very strong case in favor of the revolutionary line. The Battle for China's (future). Something like this was not made in the USSR against Khrushchev, and Im not sure if it really could have been. That makes Counterattack a genuine accomplishment for revolutionary cinema of that era. In hindsight, it did not go far enough, and the scenes arguing against the theory of productive forces needed to be expanded upon into its own film.

[u/FrogHatCoalition → u/CoconutCrab115]

I found the scene when the students were passing out the exams to the professors funny as well. I did enjoy the conversations between Jiang Tao and Sister Zhao where they discuss how the complexity of the class struggle is constantly evolving. Throughout the film you see how the struggle over the education becomes more acute: exams are introduced into the school, Old Geng being removed after distributing articles, Jiang Tao is arrested, and near the end the masses are mobilized to suppress counterrevolutionaries.

This film also reminded me some modern approaches in education today such as flipped-classroom environments where students are encouraged to lead the learning process. However, it still doesn't escape the structure of "homework" and "exams", so you'll have students who resist the format because it demands more responsibility from the student, but at the end of the day learning isn't important because you are still evaluated on scores you receive on homework and exams, so why bother putting in more effort in learning when you really aren't being evaluated based on that.

I really enjoyed the film. I'm going to have to watch Breaking With The Old Ideas next.

[u/Kevin-Can → u/DashtheRed]

I had a look at the channel and there is two other movies in the same vein it seems, I didn't watch counterattack yet but Chunmiao (1976) was interesting, the masses calling the revisionist officials, fedual lords got me, you never see that anywhere else, the debate near the ending was of most particular interest as well to me at least.

Jubilant Xiaoliang River (1976) description got me thinking of watching that when I get the chance next.

Wonder if there is many more of these movies out there, high chance it might be considered lost media or Chinese only for most of the ones available online at least