Tutorial 1 (morning sun movie)
[notes]
Young people are the morning sun 朝氣蓬勃 Hope is placed on young people
Young people regard themselves were responsible for the Chinese revolution and the world
[Revolution ideas are heavily emphasized while humanitarian values are neglected]
Revolutionary bolt → 雷鋒 (diligent student of Mao’s thought)
If a person did something wrong at that time, their family background would be pointed out
→ If the person comes from bad family background, they are born guilty
Never forget class struggle
[selling] 將 working class 之間的感情&qualities 賣掉
Competition Naturally unfair
→ because of the family background
Red guards → opposing bourgeois revisionist educational policies by the school
The atmosphere at that time gave everyone a sense that everyone is spy → suspicious&
distrust
Affirming Red guard → given the right to rebel
People are heavily influenced and affected by Chairman Mao
[ Example: a girl name Song Bin Bin 宋彬彬 as a representative in the ceremony to put on an
arm badge for Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao asked her what is her name, she answered song bin bin
Then Chairman Mao replied: 要武啊， then he renamed her 宋要武 ( meaning that
violence is much needed in revolution, 不可以文質彬彬
The next day, the newspaper took this convo as propaganda of promoting and emphasizing
the importance of violence in revolution
→ the girl song bin bin has lost control of her own identity ]
At first, the Red guards thought that they were just opposing the bourgeois education→ but
turns out they are opposing something that was completely different
→ Red guards destroy temples, cultural rituals heritages and some irreplaceable objects
→ Red guards 批鬥 & label others
Revolution interaction between one class over another
The youngster followed their friends→ they were then addicted to beating
No one can escape from 文革
[New Long march]→ Know nothing & realize one self’s insignificance
→ Symbol of revolutionary ideas made concrete by individual sacrifice & daring leadership
like pilgrims
They suppress people from a bad family background (黑五類)
→ 連對家人的 feeling also needs to be suppressed
[Example: Li Rui (capitalist) & his daughter – Li Nan Yang
When Li Nan Yang saw Li Rui → She refrained from calling Li Rui Dad as she would feel guilty
to call a capitalist dad]
Mao override party policies
Mao believed that the threat of the revolutionary only can removed by mobilizing the
masses
上山下鄉
Let people to know the reality of China→ life of peasants → miserable
___________________________________________________________________________
Questions for reviewing the film and the red guards debate
1a. What is your family background?
My family was once poor workers, they were under the red categories→ being allowed to
join in the revolution
1b. Do you think children from bad family background should have equal opportunities to
higher education?
As a revolutionary cadre, irrationally I would say that those from the bad family background
should not have the opportunity to enjoy higher education as their parents are those who
hindered the revolution. Those children being nurtured in those kinds of families, the
capitalist ideas might be imprinted in those children early in their life. Letting those children
who might be upholding the anti-revolution/ capitalist idea receive higher education and
gain more knowledge may pose threats to the revolution.
Rationally → for nearly two decades, the CCP has repeated that its policies have the
egalitarian goal of first
→ So, letting children from bad family backgrounds receive higher education → fulfil the
egalitarian idea
2a. Who is entitled to join the revolution?
→ People who come from the red family background
(peasants/ workers/ revolutionary cadres)
While people who come from the black/ bad family background son of bitches
No right to call themselves red guards
2b. When were you excluded & when did you have a chance to speak?
→ You were excluded if you come from a family with bad family backgrounds/rumors,
people gonna ignore you
→ You have a chance to speak only when you and your family are rehabilitated and the
name was cleared
