Chen Sanliang
It is just nonsense to call this film a political propaganda. The film is a Henan Quju opera documentary and it has nothing to do with politics. The Quju story of Chen Sanliang Pa Tang was created in the early Qing Dynasty and was very well inherited and developed by the Quju master Zhang Xinfang. Zhang was one of the best known Quju performer. She herself had a difficult time in the culture revolution because of her effort in keeping and developing the old traditions of Quju arts. For people who know nothing about Quju, it is needed to mention that Quju is a genre of traditional opera well known in the middle region of China. Its history can be dated back to the Ming and Qing dynasty, more than 400 years ago.Nowadays, it seems to be a fashion to everything about China after 1949 a political label. However, to call this traditional art born even before the communism a political propaganda is not only ridiculous but also offensive and outrageous. As a matter of fact, master Zhang Xinfang (as Chen Sanliang in the film) was under pressure herself because of her effort to preserve the traditions and arts in the culture revolution. Master Zhang Xinfang is still alive today but at a high age now. There is a danger that her art and her story will be lost forever with her life. An art of 500 years of heritage will be lost forever. She and her art deserve people's respects and it is not right to call it political propaganda! I have to rate this film 10 for excellence because it can be the only documentary of master Zhang's early performance. No body can repeat her excellence because no body can be that diligent in pursuing arts and no body struggle in a harsh era like her again. See the film and may be you want to learn more about this old lady and the real Chinese culture.
