A Great Wall

Starring:Jan Haley, Xiaoguang Hu, Sharon Iwai, Qinqin Li, Guanglan Shen, Han Tan, Kelvin Wong, Jian Xiu, Kelvin Han Yee, Ran Zhijuan
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

You expect a culture clash when a Chinese-American Silicon Valley computer hotshot quits his job and takes his thoroughly American family home to Beijing to see his sister. In the hands of director-star Peter Wang, it's more like a series of love taps as each family receives a gentle lesson in how the other half lives. The sights and sounds of Beijing's sleepy suburbs and bustling modern urban center was an eye-opening glimpse behind the Great Wall for 1986 audiences watching the "first American comedy shot in China," and the easy pace, the genial portrait of family life, and the subtle, almost fleeting references to the cultural revolution, give it a flavor steeped in both cultures. Perhaps Wang's evenhanded humor and innocence was only possible before the Tiananmen Square massacre, but it remains an enjoyable journey. --Sean Axmaker

Description

The first American feature filmed in modern China, A Great Wall is a graceful, infectious and "perceptive comedy of clashing cultures and the pitfalls of assimilation" (The Washington Post). Actor/director Peter Wang "serves up a platter of insights into the universality of human nature" (The Wall Street Journal) in this heartwarming gem. After quitting his job as a successful computer executive, Leo Fang decides to pack up his American family and return to his roots in China. But when the thoroughly modern Fangs move in with their more traditional Beijing relatives, the joyous family reunion quickly disintegrates as each side tries to make sense of the other. Can the very different sides of Leo's family come together and break down the Great Wall thatdivides them?

Customer Reviews:

A very nice movie about family.......2004-07-30

I saw this film in an LA theater when it first came out. It was gentle, charming, and about family and generations in a universal way but with Chinese faces, places and customs which made it interesting. It was a very nice way to spend a couple of hours and I recommend it highly.

Cool Record of the Past.......2003-02-06

I like this film. Can't think of any others like it. Written, directed, and acted in by a Chinese-American immigrant, about relations between Americanized Chinese-Americans and Chinese folk in Beijing. The picture on the DVD looks great. In some ways it is more a document of the 80's than the current situation. Beijing of today is not like Beijing of 86 (I was there twice this year). Today, with a more open society and the internet, Chinese people are more knowledgable about US culture than they are portrayed in this film. (Can't say the reverse is true.) One criticism of the film is that it milks a lot of humor by portraying mainland Chinese society and people as quaintly backward (for example, the Chinese computer lab scene). I think that it is somewhat misguided to laugh at a poorer society just because they aren't as hip as our powerful, rich country. Still, I loved this film when I saw it in the 80's and the DVD is worth seeing or having.

Culture Crash..........2003-01-27

The American Fang family is going to Beijing to meet Leo's sister and her family who he has not seen for 30 years. When they meet, both families have preconceived notions of how things should be based on their own culture and they encounter different barriers besides the Great Wall. These barriers are built upon the minute details that are encountered in everyday life along with ideas that people have been taught through their environment. These differences are blown up by presumptions of how things should be base on learned morals, values, and beliefs. The Great Wall presents an interesting idea; however, the film feels forced as the characters seem a little to rigid in their environment. The end result is an average cinematic experience that does not meet up to the expectations of the story.

Funny, insightful, fully enjoyable.......2002-10-12

A Great Wall tells the story of a Chinese family living in America when the father, a first generation Chinese immigrant and computer specialist, decides to take his family home to China for a visit. What follows is a delightful study in cultural contrasts but, more importantly, a study in the special issues that 1st generation families face from both the perspective of the parents and the children. In the end, the movie still manages to be warm and light-hearted while still exposing the key issues in satyrical fashion. A really fun movie to watch over again. Highly recommended.

Modern Marvels - The Great Wall of China (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Informative but dull...

Modern Marvels - The Great Wall of China (History Channel)
Starring: Modern Marvels
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Ancient Mysteries - The Forbidden City: Dynasty & Destiny (A&E DVD Archives)
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China and The Forbidden City

ASIN: B000BKVL7U
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Description

Winding roughly 6,700 kilometers through undulating mountains, grasslands, and desert, its vastness seems beyond the realm of human possibility. A wonder of the ancient world, the Great Wall of China is one of mankind's most massive building achievements. Yet contrary to popular belief, there is no single wall of China, but rather a series of walls built for different reasons at different times. MODERN MARVELS® embarks on a journey of discovery, investigating the mysterious history surrounding this cultural marvel. Historians and modern engineers discuss the planning, construction, and function of various segments while extensive location footage illuminates the stunning majesty of its architecture. Legend claims that the wall is a wellspring of warfare, madness, and death--can this be true? From ancient China onwards, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® explores the incredible history of THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. DVD Features: Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-02-13

Excellent, There is so munch info on this DVD about China grate Wall how it got its name and how the wall's first came about being belt you can watch it over and over again and still learn something new. Two thumbs up. If don't have it this DVD the Grate Wall of China thin I recommend you show have add it to your DVD collection

Cheers U all

James

Informative but dull..........2006-08-05

If you are looking for a great, beautifully done documentary on this topic I'd refer you to Discovery Channel's Secrets of the Great Wall. This one is very much dated in appearance. Lots of talking heads of historians with use of old old photos and footage of the wall as back drop. All the same this DVD is informative but this is not one I'd like to watch over and over again and I'm a person that loves to watch good ones over and over.

The Reckless Moment (The Blank Wall) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

A Career Best performance by Joan Bennett

The Reckless Moment (The Blank Wall) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Max Ophüls
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), SYNOPSIS: A blend of melodrama and film noir, The Reckless Moment stars Joan Bennett as Lucia Harper, a suburban housewife whose husband is away on business. Her daughter, Bea (Geraldine Brooks), an aspiring artist, has fallen for Ted Darby (Shepperd Strudwick), a shady older man from Los Angeles who claims to be an ex-art dealer. One night, after a secret rendezvous in the Harpers' boathouse that turns into an argument, Bea accidentally kills Darby. When Lucia discovers his body in the morning, she panics and dumps it in the lagoon instead of contacting the police, who would surely charge her daughter with murder. Her problems only increase when a suave Irish gangster named Donnelly (James Mason) shows up with a package of love letters from Bea to Darby, and blackmail on his mind. With her husband out of town, Lucia has no choice but to give in to his demands, and brings him along on a desperate quest to raise the money that takes them from bank to loan office to pawn shop. Along the way, Donnelly seems to develop sympathy -- even affection -- for her. When his boss shows up to pressure him into finishing the job, Donnelly's surprising decision sets up the film's startling climax. The Reckless Moment was remade in 2001 by Scott McGehee and David Seigel as The Deep End. SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery,

Customer Reviews:

A Career Best performance by Joan Bennett.......2007-05-21

'The Reckless Moment' is Max Ophuls' excellent 1949 suspense melodrama, starring James Mason as a blackmailer who falls in love with his desperate victim (Joan Bennett).

Ophuls direction is superb, with the suspense mounting in every scene as housewife Bennett, mistakenly believing her daughter has killed a man, disposes the body and tries desperately to hide the girl's involvement from the police and her family. Then Mason appears, demanding money for incriminating love letters he has which the daughter had written to the dead man. The plot thickens from there, with Bennett trying to shield her family from scandal as the blackmailer begins to admire and then love the devoted housewife and mother.

James Mason is always excellent in sinister roles, and his performance here is one of his best, though his character's motivation isn't quite clear. By his own admission, he's a loser who's never done a decent thing in his life, so why he suddenly develops a conscience is never fully explained.

But who wouldn't fall in love with beautiful Joan Bennett, giving the performance of her career as the desperate mother who's commonplace life is suddenly turned upside down by crime and blackmail. Ophuls, who the year before had guided Joan Fontaine through one of her greatest performances in 'Letter From an Unknown Woman,' drew from Bennett her most natural, believable performance. She's never been better. Fans of tv's 'Dark Shadows' may especially enjoy finding out what a fine actress she was.

'The Reckless Moment' is not only a top notch suspense thriller, but a probing examination of suburban American life and a woman's place in it. We are shown has limited a woman's resources and options are when faced with a crisis and how the husband holds all the power.

Highly recommended for the outstanding direction and two great stars in peak form.

Discovery Channel - Secrets of The Great Wall

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable to Watch!

Discovery Channel - Secrets of The Great Wall

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Forbidden City - The Great Within (DVD)
First Emperor of China
Ancient Mysteries - The Forbidden City: Dynasty & Destiny (A&E DVD Archives)
Lost Treasures of the Ancient World Series 3 - Ancient China
Best of Discovery Channel Volume 2

ASIN: B0007WZ6TG

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable to Watch!.......2006-08-05

I've seen many specials on the Great Wall. This one is by far the best one out there. Do not bother with The History Channels Modern Marvels version... while full of information is mostly talking heads and panning of very bad ancient artwork and old photos. This one on the other hand has the latest 3D models, clean crisp film footage, and the Chinese actors and workers showing how stuff was done. Highly recommended for any educational library!

In Search Of History - The Great Wall (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

In Search Of History - The Great Wall (History Channel)

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

First Emperor of China
Lost Treasures of the Ancient World Series 3 - Ancient China

ASIN: B000FKP17W
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Description

He was one of the greatest emperors in China 's history, the first ruler of the Ch'in dynasty. Under Shih Huang Ti, China turned inward, protecting itself behind the famous Great Wall. In his reign, the first 1,200 miles of the wall were constructed. But was Ti really trying to protect his kingdom, or was he concerned with preserving his own place in history? THE GREAT WALL probes the remarkable archaeological legacy of this ancient ruler, focusing on the famous barrier. Leading historians relate what is known of his rule, while archaeologists reveal the astonishing discoveries that have recently come to light including the shocking find of over 7,000 life-size terra cotta statues of warriors. Get an up-close look at these astonishing monuments, and join the ongoing excavations of Ti's tomb, protected by its own buried army of warrior statues. Take a first-ever look at some of the most remarkable discoveries of recent years, and reach across the ages for a portrait of the driven man whose desire for immortality provides a window into China's distant past.

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The New Rules of the Game

Average customer rating:

The price of eggs fell

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The New Rules of the Game
Starring: David Ogden Stiers
Director: William Cran , and Greg Barker
Manufacturer: WGBH Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

WGBH Boston | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: Battle of Ideas
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The Agony of Reform
The Corporation
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

ASIN: B00008YZI1
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Customer Reviews:

The price of eggs fell.......2006-01-06

This is one of the best designs and clearest documentary on how economic reform came about. It is a must see for those that are too young or were too busy to see it happening. It is worth owning this set so one can use repeated reviewing and pick up on the nuances.

This documentary far surpasses any written works on theories (there is a companion book available). You get to see all the economists in person or film. For my part the design is not a bunch of detached sound bites but a coherent and supported (informed) display of before and after.

Not to distract from this 3 volume set there is a lesser know concept that you may find imbedded in these economic reforms. Read "The Capitalist Manifesto" by Louis O. Kelso, Mortimer Jerome Adler

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The Agony of Reform

Average customer rating:

The price of eggs fell

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The Agony of Reform
Starring: David Ogden Stiers
Director: William Cran , and Greg Barker
Manufacturer: WGBH Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

WGBH Boston | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The New Rules of the Game
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: Battle of Ideas

ASIN: B00008YZI0
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Customer Reviews:

The price of eggs fell.......2006-01-06

Ancient Mysteries - China's Wall Of Doom

Average customer rating:

Ancient Mysteries - China's Wall Of Doom

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Modern Marvels - The Great Wall of China (History Channel)
Ancient Mysteries - The Forbidden City: Dynasty & Destiny (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B000FKP1JA
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Description

CHINA'S WALL OF DOOM features not only the startling discovery of over 7,000 life-size terra cotta statues, but also explores the mysteries surrounding the Great Wall of China. Both of these landmarks were built by the same Chinese Emperor, a man obsessed with his own mortality. His tomb is protected by his own army of soldiers and has yet to be opened.

Average customer rating:

Modern Marvels: The Great Wall of China

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Rising up from the land like a sleeping dragon, its vastness seems beyond the realm of human possibility... Explore the story of one of the wonders of the Ancient world. The Great Wall of China is the one of the most massive building achievements in history. Winding 6,000 kilometers through undulating mountains, it is the only man-made structure visible with the naked eye from space. Yet the true history of this engineering marvel is as mysterious and ephemeral as the mists of the nearby Yellow River Valley. Who called for the Great Wall's construction and how was it accomplished? And was the Great Wall truly, as legend has it, a wellspring of bloodshed, madness and death? Examine the mysteries of one of the most awe-inspiring monuments in the world with modern engineers and leading historians.

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: Battle of Ideas

Average customer rating:

The price of eggs fell

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: Battle of Ideas
Starring: David Ogden Stiers
Director: William Cran , and Greg Barker
Manufacturer: WGBH Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Politics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

WGBH Boston | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The New Rules of the Game
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy: The Agony of Reform
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy

ASIN: B00008YZHZ
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Customer Reviews:

The price of eggs fell.......2006-01-06

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