The Awakening Giant - China

This Danish documentary on China was filmed during the heyday of Mao Tse Dung＇s suzerainty over that nation. It views the strict regimentation of the country sympathetically, in view of the many periods of chaos and starvation earlier in the 20th century, though it comments on the likelihood that the intellectuals who are forced to work in factories and fields are less likely to appreciate their good fortune. The filmmaker was permitted to travel as far as the Great Wall, and was allowed to view cotton and steel factories, as well as school and kindergarten scenes. He has many occasions to refer to Mao＇s Red Book and other writings. Particularly notable is a mass rally at a sports stadium. It should be noted that this film was made in 1973, not long after the disastrous "Great Leap Forward" or "Cultural Revolution," (which the Chinese would not discuss), hence the references to intellectuals being sent to labor in factories and on farms.