Comparing the cultural revolution scene in Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’ to real history #三體 #三体 0:00 Intro 0:55 A little background 3:07 Scene analysis 13:46 Cultural revolution continues 17:16 CCP coverup 19:01 Summary
My grandparents worked in a school and one of their colleagues, a young teacher, was beaten to death by his students. The killers were never punished. Some of them were children. The school never took accountability for what happened. He left behind a young wife and daughter. His elderly father used to visit the school every year to look for answers, but got none. After the Cultural Revolution ended, society appeared to return to normal, but there are holes in people's lives that will never be filled.
@@elvishassassin1Thank you for passing on the story. There are so many, and all the more sad since the people who were there are still alive, but are not allowed to say what happened- even though some of them who were victims are in positions of immense power today, up to and including Xi himself.
@@chasx7062 I don't think teachers were decapitated in French revolution and French revolution didn't happen against 2 group of people of opposing views ,, it was all of people united against ruling class. teachers aren't ruling class. so , please stop with false equivalence.
I’m really impressed Netflix actually was willing to make a series that upset China that much after having pandered to China before by doing things like putting the 9-dash line in Pine Gap and depicting the Hong Kong handover as what the actual hongkongers wanted. This is kind of like the new Top Gun movie keeping the patch, where the entertainment industry in the west is starting to stop self-censoring for China. I’m also kind of impressed that the author of the book actually is staying in China, with the money he has as an author he probably could afford to get an investment visa and move abroad but he chooses to stay in China even if he risks censorship and worse from the CCP. One thing about the cultural revolution though, I don’t know your age so I’m not sure when you were in school but my first wife was from China and she learned a little more than you about the cultural revolution (though it was covered in less than detail than in a western country) in fact their teacher showed the movie the Last Emperor to her class (which has a scene set during the cultural revolution). This was back in the early 2000’s, the same time as when Three Body Problem was first serialized. The thing is, back then China was arguably the most open it ever was since 1949 and the cultural revolution could be criticized due to its backward nature and the fact many of the people that helped open up China were victims of the cultural revolution that had been rehabilitated. Since the rise of Xi (who ironically himself was forced to work in a camp during the revolution) China has started to close again and anything that makes China look bad has been banned including discussing the cultural revolution. Kind of sad how the whole censorship of this story illustrates the backwards nature of China in the past few years…
Indeed, the political climate changes in China depending on who's in power. It was almost "politically correct" to criticize the culture revolution when the author first started writing the book. But now Xi wants to start cultural revolution 2.0. But even back then, it still wasn't okay to point fingers at the party itself. The author never wrote anything against the party. And when he was interviewed, he was supporting CCP's persecution against the Uyghurs. Maybe due to his survival instinct, who knows.
What Netflix is not mentioning is they created a white-washed version for Chinese audiences. Sadly, still kissing ass to Communist dictatorship; when it comes to truth or money, Hollywood liberals always choose money.
Ally, I thought your review was excellent! I am a college professor and have several colleagues who lived through the Cultural Revolution, and several from Tsinghua. They each have their personal story about how those terrible events affected themselves and their family. History should not be erased. 3-Body Problem helped create a desire for people to learn more about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Thank you for making this review.
Thanks. This needs to be seen widely. Your presentation is excellent. I taught an a university in Peking (Beijing) 1979-1980 ie just after the Cultural Revolution ended. I saw the damage all around. People were very cowed. I saw fear in the eyes of a student's mother when I, as a foreigner, tried to give her a food gift when visiting them. Some students opened up in secret about the Revolution. Mostly they did not. I live in Taiwan now. If the CCP invades Taiwan, I, my friends here and the world will lose a great deal.
intresting to know about what and how its taught in chinese schools (i am honestly a bit surprised it is mentioned at all) maybe as a sidenote, in 'revolutions' at least the ones based on indoctrination, intelectualls (especially teachers) are always the first to be killed after all, usually they are taught to be critical about things as parts of their jobs, and teachers especially have a strong influence on public culture.
It’s taught as a regrettable mistake from a great leader, or just as facts without comment. History is taught very differently in China compared to the west. There’s a lot of on this date this happened rather than why it happened and what effects it had. And even when the cause and effects are taught it’s more like a story rather than a critical thinking piece.
@@Guo1234bob I really hate how the CCP continues to promote Mao as a "great leader" rather than a psychologically damaged, ignorant and incompetent leader who almost lead the country to ruin.
I really respect your parents.. going through the hellish cultural-revolution, They made a wise decision for their daughter to have more freedom in her future. Your analysis on cultural revolution is really outstanding.
Yeah sure, she has more freedom. She's part of a cult called Falun Gong. I suggest you look into it. It's anything but free. They're a vicious cancer that has infiltrated many levels of American society too, and they have a whole ass compound in upstate New York.
NO, the more you learn about human history, the more you want the Aliens to win muhahahah... French Revolution, Chinese Cultural Revolution, Russian Revolution, American Revolution.... History may NOT repeat itself BUT it does rhyme!
@@chasx7062 Hard to argue there but... xD I'm chronically depressed and passively suicidal so I'm probably not the *best* person to be making that call!
@@Radhaun Hey I am sorry to hear that, and i am not much of a counselor, BUT i think the Holy Spirit has already given you a spark of enlightenment with your original comment.
😢 it is heartening for me to see your strength and bravery. I did business for quite a few years with Chinese and I know how difficult it is to speak truth even today about anything unflattering towards China. your are truly a diamond and a beacon for the future of young Chinese that want an example 😊❤❤
The Chinese don’t care about your opinions. They have moved on. They built themselves a phenomenal society for themselves. If it is so terrible there then ask yourself how can these incompetent immoral selfish people built and completed the worlds largest highspeed rail network in less than 2 decades? How are they able to uplift hundreds of millions out of poverty. If the CCP always want continuous grip of control over Chinese people’s lives then why do they make them rich. How can Chinese people even leave the country if the CCP is that bad?
At the hotel I work, is down for construction & the Chinese gentlemen have been BEYOND polite and hard working, they replaced these Jamaicans who kept harassing women guests and the women housekeepers. They worked Xmas day, so did I (hotels do not close, only portions) One seen me breaking down from family stress and offered me a camel cigarette 😅 like..they could read I was going through something but said no thank you though. He wasn't being creepy like the previous workers. I don't have much $$ since my hours were cut in half so now that I see your comment I will save money to buy each of them these $5 cupcakes each and give them. They are here to work 7am-7pm 6 days a week! In conclusion this video really shows we had Salem witch trials where so many men and women were murdered for zero reason...there they were punished for trying to learn life beyond religion! No excuse
Thanks for posting this. I am currently finishing the third book in the series, and I've seen the Chinese 30 part show and the first few parts of the Netflix series. I had to stop watching Netflix because they were putting events from the third volume of the series which I hadn't even read yet fairly early in the show. I thought the two sequences involving the Red Guard in the NetFlix show (second one being Ye Wenjie confronting the woman who killed her father and later lost part of her arm) were well done. I wish the rest of it was as faithful to the book. Thanks for increasing my understanding of these events.
When watching that scene I noticed that Ye Wenjie was also noticeably struggling and crying out for her dad, and there were even Red Guards holding her back. Having read about the Cultural Revolution I feel this would probably not have happened in real life. Given the crowds, she would have been frozen with fear.
The Netflix delibrately cut off an important scene during Ye's father's murder, which was in the original novel, like this: "The supreme directive: fight with words, not with force!" Ye Zhetai's two students finally made up their minds and shouted these words. They rushed over at the same time and pulled away the four little girls who were already in a semi-crazy state. It makes a big difference，because this sentence showed that Chinese leadership didn't encourage violence during the cultural revolution, and Ye Zhetai's death was an accident in which the four teenage girls lost control.
@@aroonsubway2079 that's exactly the message that the high ranking officials of the CCP want to pass, the meaning behind is "the party is always right, when something goes wrong is an individual's fault. and that individual needs to go through the CCP sessions (ie brainwashing or torture) to become a productive member of the society" I read a lot and talk to a lot of chinese people (democratic activists, falun gong, lawyers, christians etc etc ) who escaped from China because the country is under the communist ideology.
The netflix scene was gruesome. It put color figuratively and literally to the black and white pictures I am used to seeing about the Cultural Revolution. Im also glad that the English Translated Book also is as the author intended. The last thing I want in a book is a heavily censored version to appease some Ideology and Censorship Ministry who prioritize propaganda over truth.
I just watched the first episode of the Netflix version and was curious about how it was handled in China, so this came at just the right time. Thanks for posting.
I binge-watched the series and was deeply depressed at the events of the so-called cultural revolution. It was basically gang-led anarchism, which is also the situation in China today under Xi the Pooh and CCP.
A great book not just about the cultural revolution, but the nature of the CCP would be the 'Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party' www.ninecommentaries.com/english
More people need to watch this video to learn that the scene wasn't fictional, it actually happened all over China for 10 years! In addition to human suffering, a lot of valuable artifacts, rare books and historical monuments were destroyed in that era. Sorry to learn that your family suffered from this madness and thank you for bringing attention to it, I am sure it isn't easy for you to have the wound reopened.
Great question. I am glad to see there are still people with critical thinking like you on RU-vid. But unfortunately, this youtuber won't show the other side of the story.
7:25 could you explore further on why the CCP is against these key points? It does ring true to me that they naturally act against these with their actions, but did you mean that they systematically and in principal go specifically against these principals? If so, could you give some examples on how they systematically oppose these? I think that would be a super valuable explanation, because I had no ideia that this was against their "philosophy".
The CCP was not explicitly against these points. What they (Mao) proposed during the Cultural Revolution was to completely root out "traditional" a.k.a "reactionary feudal" value from Chinese people and culture and society to form a new socialist/communist people. By that, they first went against the intellectuals, who tended to be most active in criticising the government (see also the Hundred Flowers Campaign) because of their supposed tie to old-school Confucian value and their tendency of liberalism. But it did not stop there. Government officials who were against Mao were also targeted, such as Peng Duhuai (the respected general who led Chinese troops during the Korean War) or Liu Shaoqi (the bloody head of state).
In terms of the character's anger at humanity, I think there is an untold story here as well. After her father is brutally killed in front of her and her mother renounces her family, she is basically an orphan stigmatized by being of the same blood of a perceived traitor. I can't imagine what that would have done to a young girl being shuffled around from orphanage to orphanage and despised by everyone who was entrusted to take care of her. She was also probably bullied and abused by her classmates, peers, and even family members even before she was put into the orphanage system -- a system where children were to be regimented and molded into the perfect Maoist cadre.. And then being thrown into the crazy labor system in the period of the Gang of Four after Mao died. Everyone betrayed her; everyone was a predator out to hurt her; and no one could be trusted whether a faux boyfriend or an opportunistic colleague. This doesn't exactly make someone "Up with People." I would have been surprised if she hadn't sent the communication.
I need to watch this show now :) I am wondering would most people who lived through this would remember this and have witness these types of events? There would still be a lot of people still alive that were born in the 50s and early 60s. Or most people would be aware of it, but would do their best to keep out of it? Or was it impossible not be there. If you stayed at home you might be in trouble not going to watch the "bad person" get punished. I wonder if we should ask questions for the older generations or it would make them feel uncomfortable. Obviously it would need to be the right social situation to bring up the topic. I have only basic chinese skills. As a general rule I don't go there , as it probably caused major mental scars.
Their answer would make YOU uncomfortable. :) They would justify those things, because they were likely participating in them, and since they are good people, events themselves can't be bad. People killed were somehow deserving it. Logic! Have similar experience with Russian people living through Soviet times. Humans are humans.
Hopefully, every country can learn something from this history to avoid similar things! This is not just a China problem as we can see with current wars and events.
I hope that children here in America can see this and understand how dangerously close we are to having a similar atrocity happen here. Giving middle and high school children a misguided freedom to go Lord of the Flies and they get virtue points for it is a recipe for disaster.
The more you learn about human history, the more you want the Aliens to win muhahahah... French Revolution, Chinese Cultural Revolution, Russian Revolution, American Revolution.... History may NOT repeat itself BUT it does rhyme!
I wonder if Ip Man being on the stage (instead of professor Ip) would make a difference against the red guards? Ooops ... I forgot, the real life “Ip Man” is pro ccp :P
There are many TV shows and films in China legally shown with the background of the cultural revolution (not this direct of course) ... Also, i saw on CCTV6 a documentary on the topic, the only difference, they blame the gang of 4 for all of it and not Mao ...
NO, the more you learn about human history, the more you want the Aliens to win muhahahah... French Revolution, Chinese Cultural Revolution, Russian Revolution, American Revolution.... History may NOT repeat itself BUT it does rhyme!
Living in Beijing is a privilege (it is still so today). One needs special permit (hukou) to live there. Therefore expelling a family, stripping them of this privilege is also a punishment, considered less severe than killing or imprisonment.
From my understanding and what i heard, the Director interviewed survivors for this scene. Thank you Ally for speaking for those who aren’t granted a voice
Its like, why America doesnt teach about Brazil's independence and history. I'm Brazilian and i know few about each president of USA, depise you use "America" to rever only North America. The history of own country is dense, you just summarise the other countries that have immediate relations with your country. The point is, what do the education system want to show that is core to understand.
I watched malcomx speech about china and he praised culture revolution in china as way to root out traitors and that how you build future of patriotic people, but I watched video about guy who said he was reason his mother got excuted by red guards cuz she insulted portray of mao, I honestly don't know how to feel about cultural revolution, I feel like it might have done more harm to chinese then good
Humbling a person in a position of authority to recognize the power of the masses. In traditional Chinese culture elders are respected as living monuments, but the Cultural Revolution empowered the young to challenge traditions and dismantle them. That is the thinking anyway.
I’m kind of confused. Einstein was a socialist, why would the red guard “Hate” Einstein. Though some early marxist philosophers were atheists, there is nothing about anti theist about communism. Can you also cite your source about family in the manifesto. Is the manifesto and Kapital censored and/or revised in China? it certainly doesn’t seem like China has the same versions of the communist manifesto and das Kapital that was originally released in the west.
I wonder how many young people, by percentage, are aware of the way group think makes individuals the tool of oppressive leaders. We were not recommended to read books such as 1984, or writings of authors that promote individualism or literature with a positive sentiment towards what would have been "liberal views" to my parents. It's a confusing time being around so many worker drones with no one being widely promoted (monetarily) for defending the soul or spiritual values.
I actually tried to read the English version of the Three Body Problem. Did not care for it (lame plot and characters). It did, however, start with a struggle session scene in the first chapter, which I hear was not present in the original Chinese version. I haven't seen the Netflix adaptation (since I disliked the book so much), but I hear Chinese audiences have problems with the acting, direction, etc. I think the negative reception surrounding the Netflix adaptation also clouds the issue.
The book started slow but if you endure the first half it gets a lot better. The Netflix version is far better in this regard. I'd say watch the show even if you dislike the book.
Yea sure. If they want it banned then why not ban the books first? People outside of China has no clue how open Chinese people discuss about the Cultural Revolution. The CCP aint censoring or hiding anything and there are various literature and movies about it like Hibiscus Town, etc. but people just want to naturally assume things.
im definitely a fan of the book, but deeply saddened by both shows as it didn't hold a good storyline and didn't do justice to the book. At least I know the cultural revolutions was depicted accurately by you :D
I cannot imagine what it was like to be black in America from 1700s until the 1980s, or Native Americans in the 1700 and 1800s. Every major country has a bleak history unfortunately
Man. Please always keep asking questions with critical thinking... Forget about all these illusory ideologies. Take a look at real hardcore statistics from WorldBank: Chinese population grew from 700 million in 1966 to 930 million in 1976, and its GDP grew from 80 billion USD to 153 billiion USD (almost doubled) during the cultural revolution. You are free to search and do a fact checking on these figures. If the bloody scene in this 3BP story was some daily routine in any country, such rapid population and economic growth would not happen.
The irony of your story about learning more in history class about American Slavery than the Cultural Revolution is not lost on me. Here and now, many people in the United States want to remove lessons about slavery from school books or minimize the fact America was built on their backs.
This is so well explained Ally, thank you. It is so frightening to see western students acting the same way on campuses and in the streets now in the US.
I don't know about all of the West, but the USA had its own McCarthyism show trials, not to mention all the racial violence and strife in the same time period. But there does continue to be violence on US streets as police execute unarmed people with impunity still.
I began to watch the Chinese series, I was enjoying it, but lost momentum with it. Around the time I'd just seen Galileo (1975 film) based on the Bertolt Brecht play, a playful rub that if the Earth is not the centre of the heavenly bodies then the Pope is not perhaps the pre determined voice of God on Earth and the centre of the universe, leading on further to a post Newtonian understanding of the world through The Enlightenment and so on. The separation of church and state. Scientific reductionism leading to a dissolution of the 'mythologies' that negate an emotional connection with nature in favour of an empirical and rational one. Authority on what reality _is_ becomes altered, the simple way humans begin to see the 'space and time' of they world they occupy. They did this through the showing the aliens obsession with celestial divination (a mathematical prediction in the form of a calendar) of the planets and their reoccurring pyramid building in the Chinese version, which is where I think I began to understand what the themes may have been. Starting the Netflix version, I understood the cultural analogy of why this scene was there and thought it was the best moment of it so far really. Glad to know it was placed as originally intended. It makes perfect sense in getting to the real world point. I have not read the book, but I think it was already 'up my alley' so to speak.
The fact that this scene make’s the CCP squirm tells me it hits very close to home. We’ll never really know how many millions of Chinese died at that time☹️
There are several dialects of mandarin with cantonese being the most well known. It is true that most of the country has standardized to putong hua which literally translates to common word.
So some CCP die-hards didn't like the inquisition scenes because they weren't accurate enough and some didn't like them because they were too accurate. But who am I to criticise? - we've just gone through the terrible and tragic group manipulation and government enforcement of the Covid period and the effects still linger.
@@carlosandleon Yet it was Cuba who gave more vaccines to the developing world than the entire first world combined, so there is another side to Socialist ideology unlike what was portrayed here.
Ally, it’s the same for Western Teachers teaching their students about happened during WW2. The teachers ALWAYS focused on and taught their students about what The Nazis did in WW2. They NEVER once taught their students what The Japanese did in WW2. They also taught their students the WRONG date of when WW2 actually started. They always taught them that WW2 started in 1939 when The Nazis invaded Poland. But, that is in fact the WRONG year of when WW2 actually started, because the CORRECT YEAR of when WW2 actually started was in 1937, when The Japanese invaded China. The Western Teachers NEVER taught their students about “The Nanjing Massacre aka “The R@pe of Nanjing”, “Unit 731”, “The Comfort Women”, “The Bataan Death March”, etc. And, in my opinion…The Japanese WERE WORST than The Nazis.
