1911 (2011) User Reviews

Historically interesting, but not a great movie

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 12 June 2013]

Made to coincide with the centenary of the original event, 1911 REVOLUTION is a film that celebrates China's rise from the tyranny of the Qing dynasty into the modern era. It's an unashamedly patriotic movie, with clear-cut heroes and villains, and one that seeks to portray a politically complex situation in a massive country, on an international scale, in the space of two hours. The resultant film is an educational ride and historically interesting, but one that falls down when it comes to the basic facets of movie-making.

The film tries to be both a gutsy war film dominated by explosive battle sequences and a compelling political epic, featuring scenes from both sides involved in the revolution. Unfortunately, the editing is quite choppy and the battle scenes, although technically proficient, end up disappointing as you're left wanting more. Characterisation is virtually nil; Jackie bags the best role as the rebellious leader and has a few great action scenes, but everybody else feels like a player in a historical drama, never really coming to full life as they should. There are lots of familiar Chinese actors in various parts, but none of them make much of an impact here.

It's a shame, because there's a film with a similar focus, set five years previously, called BODYGUARDS & ASSASSINS, and I found it absolutely spellbinding. That movie manages to mix in the political intrigue and dramatic backdrop of the situation while at the same time telling a rollicking, action-packed storyline filled with melodrama and excitement. Yes, it was silly and over the top in places, but I'd rather that than this slightly stuffy and occasionally lifeless production that fails to engage the senses along with the intellect.

Lots of Chinese History

[d95112 · 7/10 · 10 October 2011]

I saw this film on Oct. 9th. 2011. It moves quite quickly at the beginning and there is a lot of war action portrayed in the failed attempts to overthrow the Qing Empire. Chartracters are all identified and that is the only part of the film that detracts from the viewing. The film is in Chinese and by the time you have read the subtitles the characters names are gone. The film is enjoyable if you know Chinese history of this period and if you don't it can be just a series of talking and action scenes and can be quite confusing. Sun yat-sen is the main character but Jackie Chan does get to be more than just an action figure. If you want to more about this period of Chinese this would be the movie to spur you on or illustrate better what was going on in China at this time. Yuan Shi-kai is one character who has appeared in a lot of historical films portraying this period and his actions are as always ones of greed and betrayal.

Commemorating the Centennial of the 1911 Chinese Revolution

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 4 November 2012]

Considering this is only a little more than an hour and a half in length, "1911" does a pretty decent job of offering the viewer a look at the 1911 revolution in China that toppled the Qing dynasty and inaugurated the Chinese Republic. The movie is heavy on battle scenes as the republicans and monarchists battle - and some of them are pretty graphic. The movie also gives a substantial look at some of the internal politics of the republican movement, which was not exactly a unified movement, except in its overall goal of toppling the monarchy. There's a few reflections on the place of foreigners and on repeated foreign interference in Chinese affairs. Basically this is pretty well acted by everyone involved, and it plays it pretty straight, with only one scene that I can recall that descends into Chinese martial arts. The fact that it is so short means that while it offers the viewer a good taste of the revolution, it lacks any real depth. Obviously, the era was far more complicated than is portrayed here.

One thing that detracted from my enjoyment of the movies was the subtitles. I understand the need for them, of course, but there were two problems with them - first, they sometimes flashed by so fast that it was difficult to read them, and, second, there were many times when there were two different sets of subtitles on the screen - one translating dialogue, and one translating historical information that was being offered on screen. It was difficult to follow both, and the latter especially were written in a very small font.

The movie was produced in mainland China to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1911 revolution. Unsurprisingly, then, the movie pays homage in its closing captions to the Chinese Communist Party as the inheritors of the revolutionary tradition. Aside from that, though, this didn't come across to me as a particularly heavy propaganda piece, which I appreciated. (6/10)

A Nutshell Review: 2011

[DICK STEEL · 28 September 2011]

Being billed as Jackie Chan's centennial film - well it depends on who's counting since IMDb.com listed it as the number 109, but seriously, who's counting? - it was a shrewd career choice to have made it an epic in both scale and story, an extremely well made piece of historical drama filled with political intrigue and a fine cast fleshing out their period roles, and to coincide it with the centennial year of the historical milestone it is based on as well, being the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that ultimately overthrew the Chinese Qing dynasty and ended more than 2000 years of Imperial rule in China. It could have been Rush Hour 4 or Police Story 6, but Jackie Chan had got grander ideas, so good for him.

With the aforementioned centennial celebrations of sorts, there are countless of films being released based on historical characters and incidents in the run up, with big budgeted, and undoubtedly easily labelled as propaganda films like The Founding of a Republic and its sequel The Founding of a Party boasting big name stars in its line up to draw record audiences. The latest yet to hit the big screen here, but soon enough unless the incessant playing of the trailers start to put people off, would be the story of Qiu Jin who was an anti- Qing revolutionary, in a film titled The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake directed by Herman Yau, and it is Qiu Jin who interesting enough, actually opens this film, which may make those unfamiliar with her character scratch their heads for a little while.

In a gist 1911 chronicles the fight by the Tong Meng Hui led by Sun Yat-Sen (Winston Chao) and his band of brothers to start a revolution against the corrupt Qing government who have so far been making plenty of concessions to foreign powers since the Opium War, with the country decaying morally and economically, the poor leading really miserable lives. If you're been watching Chinese cinema set around the era, you'd be fairly familiar with the strife and struggles of the Chinese people in and around that period, and this film centers itself around the failed attempts, and successful forays in leading an armed and bloody revolution to eject the corrupt leaders from their throne of power in Beijing.

Sharing director duties with Zhang Li, Jackie Chan despite being his 100th film which you may think the limelight should fall on him, somehow successfully dissolves into his General Huang Xing role, and didn't mind playing second fiddle to both Winston Chao's Sun Yat-sen and the life-changing events that unfolded in 1911. In many scenes you'll forget about Chan being Chan in his charismatic presence, even toning down his usual repertoire of stunts and moves that he's so well known for in his films, to ground himself very much in reality given it's an historical epic, providing only a glimpse of his old self in just a single scene no doubt to trademark this as a Jackie Chan flick. It's an admirable effort of restraint here, and once again allows Chan to showcase his serious side and acting chops since his successful Little Big Soldier.

The narrative also unfolded fairly evenly, with the first third of it unfolding in an interesting use of time and space rather than what you would think would be the usual chronological unravelling of events. I guess it goes to show the coming of age and maturing of contemporary Chinese mainstream cinema in adopting more creative techniques to their art and craft, and this dedication to accuracy and details show. With classy visual effects and beautiful art direction, the entire film became like a walk through time and history, with stuff you read about in the history books being brought alive. The film tried to cover as much ground as possible, and realistically read like a fast-forwarded synopsis of given key milestones being played out on screen, and the rest breezed through in the use of many inter-titles to fill in the gaps between scenes, which you may need a magnifying glass to read.

And where would the fun be if not for its ensemble cast, some inevitably only get limited air time, such as Ye Shao Qun, Jaycee Chan and Dennis To in very blink and you miss moments. Sun Chun playing Yuan Shikai almost steals the show with his portrayal as the power-hungry general who is biding his time with his allegiance, holding the Qing court ransom with his demands, and stalling his actions for the rebels, providing that level of political intrigue as a shaky alliance based on promises and the integrity of men come into play. Joan Chen also excelled in her role as the Empress Dowager (to think that many years back she was the Queen in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor) and was a delight to watch how ineffective the entire dynasty rule had become behind the closed doors of the Forbidden City, while the other female actress in Li Bingbing as the wife of Huang Xing came off as far too lightweight in her nursing role. Winson Chao continues in his typecast role as Sun Yat-sen, portraying him in umpteenth film projects, though at no point you'll doubt his charismatic air and gravitas brought into the role.

1911 challenges Chinese filmmakers to dig deep into their history to tell stories based on its own contemporary, formative years. Even Singapore is finally getting into the act with its own 1965 film project, and I suppose any film industry worth its grain in salt would have these films lined up under its filmography that allows for a critical and artistic look at troubled times before, the ideals held then, and the struggles many took to bring us to where we are today. It may not be Jackie Chan's flashiest role or film, but definitely one of his classiest and dignified one yet. Highly recommended!

1911 The Revolution

[samuelding85 · 6/10 · 1 October 2011]

1911, also known as 1911 Revolution, is a China production which marks two special occasions: 1. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Xinhai Revolution, which Dr Sun Yat Sen over throws the corrupted Qing Monarchy, marking the two thousand years of monarchy control of China to an end. 2. This is actor and director Jackie Chan's 100th movie. What audience can see from 1911 is not only about how China has come to its way today from the past, but also witness how Jackie Chan is taking a new approach in the types of movie he is making.

Generally 1911 revolves around the few main characters: Chan as Huang Xing, the commander who lead his army to overthrow the Qing Monarchy, Winston Chao as Dr Sun, Li Bing Bing as Xu Zonghan, a revolutionist, who is also a good friend of Sun and Huang's lover, lastly with Joan Chen as Aisin Gioro Lungyu, the Empress who son is Puyi, the last emperor of China. The storyline of 1911 takes place around the last year of Qing Monarchy before the outbreak of Xinhai Revolution, where the story can be split into 2 parts: Huang leading the army to fight against the Qing army, and Sun gathering the support of the Chinese overseas through donations to fund the revolution, and stopping European banks from providing loans to Qing Monarchy. In the later part of the film, however, it falls on how Sun Yat Sen appoints Yuan Shikai, the Prime Minister of Qing Monarchy, as the first President of China Republic.

For those who are expecting Jackie Chan to create something new with his stunts and comical acts, they will be disappointed. 1911 marks Chan taking a serious role in his movie career by telling the remarkable chapter of the China history, which can be seen as another breakthrough after his role as a Chinese illegal immigrant paving a better life at Japan in Shinjuku Incident. (2009) As the director, he did not create any stunts or scenes of war for the sake of pleasing the audience who are seeing more action from him. War scenes are created to tell the pain people go through in a revolution, just as what was mentioned in the film, 'Revolution is not about death, but rather, paving a better future for the future generation.' The movie packs in plenty of details about the stages of the revolution, which provides a good reference for audience who do not have much knowledge about the revolution, and the aftermath of the founding of the Republic. However, those who are seeking action in the film will find 1911 a bore than something that entertains them.

While it seems that Chan is the leading character of 1911, the fact is Chao's role of Sun Yat Sen takes a heavier role compared to other leading role. This is the third time Chao reprise the role of Sun, which he did not disappoints audience who have watched his role as Sun in previous films such as The Soong Sisters (1997). While Chen's role of Lungyu could have been elaborated further, nevertheless it is a good try to see Chen taking one of the leading role, since it is not often she appears in a movie. We can see how Chen brings out the agony of Lungyu, after hearing from the officials in the imperial court on how King Louis XVI was executed by the French's during the French Revolution, hoping that both her son Puyi and herself will be spared from execution. It is also delighting to see Jackie's son, Jaycee, making a cameo appearance as a captain, together with Dennis To (Ip Man 2, The Legend is Born – Ip Man) as a soldier fighting in the revolution.

In short, do not expect too much action and comical appearances from Jackie Chan in 1911. More rather, be entertained with a new role Chan wants to create, which is something that is worth looking forward to in his career.

Good

[manitobaman81 · 7/10 · 29 August 2014]

No matter what anyone says, this is utterly fantastic. A historical drama based on the founding of the Republic of China when nationalist forces led by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty. The metaphors in this movie are so abundant. It holds the attention but demands complete suspension of logic.From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. By the end, we feel that we have learned a great deal about the characters and the community that produced them. What a concept that is. I give this one a final rating of 7 out of 10, and it deserves it.

A real throwback

[kendavies · 3/10 · 17 January 2012]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the other reviewers. I just spent $4.99 renting this film from Time Warner Cable and it was not money well spent. Having been excited by the splendid and creative resurgence of Chinese cinema in the reform period, especially in the 1980s when it burst on the international scene with classics like Yellow Earth (Huang Tudi), it was surprising to see such a throwback to the 1950s and 1960s. This is very much like The Opium War, though the battleship in this film is clearly not a model. In those days (the 1960s), western actors were not available, since China was closed to the outside world, so they had to use some of the few expatriate English language teachers. It looks like they have done the same this time, though surely Jackie Chan could have got anyone he wanted from Hollywood. The characterisation is one- dimensional. The dialogue sounds like it is from the history books, with the film merely providing visual illustration. There are lots of close- ups of Sun Yat-sen taken from below or with him standing in a presidential position, exactly like the shots of Mao Zedong in earlier films about the Communist revolution. This is understandable -- Sun has always been considered the "father of the nation" (guo fu) by both the Communists and the Guomindang, who warred for decades -- but Sun is too interesting a character to be treated to the standard Stalinist "cult of personality" adulation. He was not, after all, a Kim Jong-Il. He was a real politician. He wrote a development plan for China. He planned, but did not live to lead, a Northern Expedition to reunite China under a republican government. The style of the movie seems to be heavily influenced by pre-war Soviet films (not, though, those of the brilliant Eisenstein and Pudovkin). It is surprising that Jackie Chan co-directed it. Surely he could have injected much more of his own cheeky humour? this film is so old-fashioned. I agree it would not have been centenary- reverential to have had fast cuts and rap music, but the slow-motion sentimental flashbacks are so hackneyed. Politically, the film doesn't say anything interesting and blithely ignores the unconscious irony of Sun saying that the Chinese people can now choose their own leaders after two hundred years of monarchy. One hundred years later, they still can't.

the next stage in history was set

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 23 March 2018]

China has been one of the primary driving forces in the world for almost two millennia. The incarnations known to recent generations are the People's Republic of China (the mainland) and the Republic of China (Taiwan). But these only emerged after two thousand years of monarchical rule. Jackie Chan's "Xinhài Gémìng" ("1911" in English) looks at the revolution that brought down the Qing dynasty. This topic briefly got touched on in "The Last Emperor", but here we get the full story of how Sun Yat-sen sought funds from the Chinese diaspora to counter the Western powers' support of the corrupt, dysfunctional royal family. Over the course of a year, the revolutionary movement waged repeated battles against the monarchy, eventually forcing Puyi's abdication in 1912.

Chan plays Huang Xing, a Sun's second-in-command, with Winston Chao playing Sun. I should say that the movie's pace in some scenes is awkward, with words identifying the characters while they talk (making it hard to read the subtitles). But that's only a minor problem. The battle scenes, and the look at the 72 Martyrs make clear that the road from the Qing dynasty to republican China was no easy one. It's not a great movie, but I recommend it. A similar movie that I recommend is "The Soong Sisters".

Also starring Jaycee Chan, Li Bingbing, Joan Chen and Hu Ge.

Kind of a convoluted mess

[JoeB131 · 2/10 · 28 May 2012]

The most telling moment. It's nearly an hour into the film, and somewhere in the middle of this incoherent plot Jackie Chan actually slides down a pipe and does a Jackie Chan thing and beats up three assassins. It's like he went nearly a whole movie without doing typical Jackie Chan stuff, and he just couldn't help himself.

I'd like to say this wasn't plot relevant, but that would work on the dubious assumption this film had a plot.

It talks about the fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, and frankly, we already did that movie. It was called "The Last Emperor", and it was a vastly better film. This one seems to revel in re-enactments of battles, but doesn't really flesh out the characters too much. The annoying flash cards explaining events and characters (many of whom weren't necessary, really) was really more of a distraction.

I think this film is probably more interesting to Chinese Audiences, but I didn't give a darn about any of the characters or how this was going to all turn out. They end the movie on a happy note before Civil and world war and Communist dictatorship. WHich is kind of like Ending Titanic before they hit the Iceberg.

I'm going to give it a 2 for period costumes and props.

Worth The Watch For A Different Jackie Experience!!

[Movie-Misfit · 7/10 · 21 December 2019]

While it certainly will never go down (in my time) as a Jackie Chan classic, his 100th film (if you discount his early bit part roles as a kid) is still a very well made movie that highlights Jackie in a unique - and impressive role.

Void of any kung fu or martial arts, albeit but for a small and short-lived scuffle between Jackie and some goons, 1911 is strictly a war movie. And while I, like pretty much every other fan and critic, had expected some huge return to a Lucky Stars or Dragons Forever type film to celebrate this achievement - I did not see this coming!

In fact, it caught me off guard so much that I initially snubbed the film on its first viewing...

But having since re-watched and gotten over the shock, I can totally appreciate 1911 for what it is. Yes its not perfect - and I obviously do understand that cramming many wars and revolutions, as well as many characters, into 90 minutes to tell the perfect story of just what exactly happened is difficult - but it tries.

Unfortunately in doing so, the story moves along at times like cut scenes from a longer film, with interesting editing choices that just lets it down a little. But not enough to make it unwatchable. In fact, 1911 is a beautifully shot film with some pretty intense war scenes and action full of gritty violence usually unseen in Jackie's films (although the last lot of years have brought us a lot of darker Jackie moments).

I did really like Jackie as Huang Xing. It was a totally different role to anything I had seen him in, and as the fearless resistance leader would have been nice to see him in a bit more action than was presented. I found the film to be drama heavy as the plot hurried on, but I guess for a film celebrating the Centenary of the actual event, it was more important to get a much dialogue and planning into the story - keeping a more patriotic tone to it all. That said, Jackie did an amazing job and gives one of his best performances I think!

It was nice to see Joan Chen pop up as the Empress Dowager and of course see Winston Chao return as the famed Sun Yat-sen. Jaycee Chan and Dennis To pop up for cameo's as soldiers, but they could have been roles played by anyone to be honest.

1911 won't win over everyone, but for those interested in Chinese history, war films or in seeing Jackie on screen - you should definitely give it a go... Overall: A totally different Jackie Chan film, 1911 still impresses for what it is and is worth the watch!

A Run down on a run downy movie.

[RhadeL · 4/10 · 9 December 2011]

This film in a word is a mess.

The problem with a lot of historical dramas in general is that their historical scopes are too big to fit neatly into the format of a film. 1911 suffers the same weakness as many other recent "propaganda" movies from mainland China: Irrespective of their propagandistic flairs or contents, they are all trying to cover everything and quickly into a usual 2 hrs duration, a task impossible if not improbable to do well. One has to question how much creative freedom Jackie really had with directing it but even without outside pressure, we can intuit that even Jackie won't want to be liberal with a source material so sensitive and "weighty".

I am not going to delve into the history as you can find better information elsewhere but judging this historical film purely as film, it is unsatisfactory at best. If you want to learn about the 1911 Revolution then perhaps this film would give you a rundown of its historical development; it is mostly centred from the perspective of the revolutionary faction led by Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the founding father of modern nationhood and democracy in China.

As required, you would see plenty of explosions and scenes of war, albeit distributed rather evenly throughout the film, providing as bits of "action" before or after the "civil" and political acts by Sun Yat Sen and the other "players" in the political manoeuvres. The film is littered with bits of textual information supposed to fill you in on the historical facts and significances, but if you are not a fast reader, all of it would fly past your head unless you are a professor in the study of the Revolution. So right off the bat you are witnessing an educational material that lacks substance and depth but only provides you with a general picture and even incomplete at that.

With the typical colour filtering for battle scenes, you are treated with the usual grittiness of war. It is very apparent you are supposed to feel the up welling of emotion as men and women sacrificed their lives for the revolution but if anything, the scenes are so short that before you have the chance/time for up welling, it is over. All we know is that battles were fought, people died, and we move on to the (politic) next part. As a historical book, that is fine, as a movie, it does not work. (Granted some scenes might have been touching but within a film world crammed up with similar attempts at dragging out your inner weak spots, we are emotionally fatigued at best to be moved so easily.)

One would also be appalled at the film's treatment of westerners. They are stereotyped/caricatured and acted awkwardly, seemingly only needed for their appearances and that none of the people hired to act knows how to act. (I mean come on, this is the 21th century, aren't we smart enough now to see through all the old stereotypes and know that people aren't paper cutouts?)

Along with that comes some bad acting on the part of the Chinese casts, where most of them are either wooden or overly melodramatic, some even managed both. Even the Doctor at certain parts of the movie came out awkwardly.

Cinematography. This might be much more centred on my own personal opinion but I find some of the cuts and techniques trying too hard, focusing on style rather than lending itself to the story and the scenes. A lot of potentially good scenes are ruined by fast cuts and awkward transitions which in some cases even provide some hilarious results on a film so centred on seriousness, making it somewhat a deadpan.

I applaud Jackie for taking on directing but maybe perhaps this is not exactly the source material to work with. Personally I find historical films problematic in ways of execution, especially one about politics and dare I say revolutions? There is no way not to read a film like this in propagandistic terms. But then again can there be politic without propaganda? Maybe this one could be read as an irony? The solution to this is: Just don't take on so much, stop making epic political movies all together and give us something much more substantial than the emotionless husks we are always being offered in, dare I say, "sanctioned" art? (But in the case of China, this might be harder than one could imagine.) It is much better to focus on the smaller characters tangled within all these big events, see things from their eyes and get to understand the big picture. The detachment from human emotionality and focusing on the large picture history book-esque is only going to alienate people. For this story, as much as the personage of the doctor is "monumental" and of his endeavours, focus on Sun Yat Sen himself more, his personal struggles, what happens behind doors. Granted this would basically take the film into another direction but political epics just do not work.(At least I haven't seen it work. Western directors already understood the difficulty and infeasibility of trying to cover everything at once. Personally I haven't seen any western films done this way or similarly. If you have seen a successful one, please let me know, I want to learn.)

If a metaphor could be used for this film, then it is akin to watch the scenes outside a fast moving train. Some scenes are nicely shot, well acted, and some sidelined characters having much more commanding presence than the main ones (In this case, I am speaking to the limited screen time roles played by Joan Chen as Empress Dowager Longyu and Chun Sun as Marshal Yuan Shi Kai), but the train is just going too fast for you to take a good look. All this makes you rather be out there...

"1911" is NOT a movie about the Colt .45 semi-automatic Pistol.

[Scott-2071 · 8/10 · 10 October 2011]

"1911" is NOT a movie about the Colt .45 semi-automatic Pistol.

"1911" was the year of a people's revolution in China. Like many modern revolutions (Iran), this one did not end well (Mao - though that was much later).

1911 the movie is an historical drama based on the fall of the Qing Dynasty and China's first attempts at becoming a Republic.

Jackie Chan co-directed and stars in a supporting role. There is one "Jackie-Chan-class" martial-arts scene, to placate his fans, having little to do with the plot. It involves little screen time, and is barely worth mentioning as fight scene or plot distraction.

The camera loves Chan and he the camera. He nicely under-plays his character but has scenes where his familiar face and real acting chops anchor the movie for western audiences.

"1911" overlaps the time and events of the movie "Last Emperor of China" and spends considerable screen time in the Imperial Court. In "Emperor," we meet PuYi at age 2-3 when he becomes Emperor, then follow him into adulthood and old age. PuYi was a child of 5 in 1911.

1911 was a genuine revolution a couple of decades prior to the battles that begat the time of Chairman Mao. If like me, you are barely aware of this period in Chinese History, this movie may give resolve to learn more. I have visited the rather large memorial to Dr Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou. The Chinese Garden in Vancouver BC is an even larger memorial to him.

In addition to political manoeuvrings, the movie is about the mud and the blood and the guts of a revolution. Beautiful young men and women thrown into the meat grinder for the cause of "freedom" - or so they had all hoped. The movie introduces many such young people, then returns to mourn them - brilliantly, I thought.

The Qing Dynasty's end involved a couple of women serving as empresses / regents for about 50-60 years. I do not mean to say that it was a cause, only that it was an unusual fact. "1911" showed Empress Dowager Longyu (Xiao Ding Jing / Xizi) as more focused on comfort and fashion that affairs of state. Hard to know how real that was from 100 years later. She would have been 42-43 in 1911 yet the movie shows her as a much younger very beautiful woman (played by Joan Chen). Her beauty is borne out by other reports from earlier in her life, however she passed away in 1913 at 44, and later pictures suggest significant dental problems.

PuYi, the "Last Emperor" was elevated to office at age 2 with affairs of state handled by a female Regent. From that day forward, PuYi was considered a living god with grown and powerful men kowtowing to his every whim. Probably bad for the psychological development of a 2 year old to say the least. I thought that 1911 showed this adequately.

An Emperor / Empress had total control to manage the affairs of state, and it would be the same for a Regent acting in his or her name. Like root/administrator access on a Linux/Windows Server that can work very well indeed if the administrator knows what s/he is doing. However that level of control can also destroy the system almost as easily through ignorance - or simple bad luck.

The political insulation and bureaucratic "plaque" built up for Chinese emperors is difficult to imagine. With occasional changes of dynasty through warfare, the concept of divine royalty had governed China for 2,000 years.

Behind high walls and gates, The Forbidden City/palace is nearly 8 million square feet (180 acres). The Vatican is about 3/5th as large, the Kremlin 1/3. It contains nearly 1,000 buildings and nearly 10,000 rooms. 9,000 people lived there to serve the imperial family. Only a select handful were allowed to even see the face of the emperor. If you weren't on that very short list the penalty for viewing his face was... death. Thus in modern dramas, you see high officials putting their faces to the floor when the emperor enters. That is by all accounts, quite real.

We know how isolated some of US Presidents have been, especially the bunker mentality of Mr. Nixon or Mr. Johnson late in their time in office; however the isolation from the "(wo)man in the street" of these Presidents is probably less than 1/100th that of the Chinese Imperial Court, due to scale, tradition and technologies.

Most of "1911" is in Mandarin with subtitles but you'll hear English where a scene is set in America's Chinatown or an aristocrat's gardens in England. At these garden parties, as European bankers would drink and dine and decide the fates of nations, Dr Sun Yat Sen lobbied them to stop loaning money to the Qing Dynasty. He succeeds, inhibiting their ability to buy weapons and pay soldiers. We also follow Dr. Sun as he travels to raise funds from the Overseas Chinese of America.

Dr. Sun declared that he would serve as interim President of China after sufficient battle victories allowed formation of a legislative body, but that he would resign as soon as the Qing Emperor abdicated. This he did. The political reasons and consequences of that decision are a major part of the movie.

Worth your time and money in theaters, but if that can't be worked into your schedule, be sure to rent it.

Scott-Bob

Revolutionary Struggles and Nation Building: 1911 (Xin hai ge ming) Movie Review

[sanadalsalt · 6/10 · 18 June 2023]

One of the notable aspects of 1911 is its portrayal of the historical events and the key figures involved. The film provides insights into the political climate and the struggles faced by the revolutionaries during that period. The use of modern warfare tactics and the determination of the characters, particularly Huang Xing and Sun Yat-sen, are highlighted effectively.

The film's production values and cinematography are commendable, capturing the essence of the time period and the scale of the revolution. The battle sequences are well choreographed, adding intensity and excitement to the narrative. The attention to detail in the costumes and set designs also adds authenticity to the overall visual presentation.

However, despite its historical significance and strong performances by the cast, 1911 falls short in certain areas. The pacing of the film tends to be uneven, with moments of intense action followed by slower narrative segments. This can sometimes disrupt the flow of the story and make it feel disjointed.

Additionally, the character development in 1911 is somewhat lacking. While Huang Xing and Sun Yat-sen are portrayed as central figures, their motivations and inner conflicts could have been explored in greater depth. The supporting characters, although important to the historical events, are not given enough screen time to fully develop their arcs.

Furthermore, the film's narrative structure can be confusing at times, making it challenging to fully grasp the historical context and the significance of certain events. A more streamlined and cohesive storytelling approach could have enhanced the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, 1911 (Xin hai ge ming) offers a glimpse into an important period in Chinese history and the struggle for independence. While it boasts impressive production values and notable performances, the film's uneven pacing, limited character development, and occasional narrative confusion prevent it from reaching its full potential. Therefore, I would give it a rating of 6 out of 10.

Average at best.

[nickdvl · 5/10 · 17 October 2011]

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed certain parts of this film with some superb performances from the main cast. But for the most part it was distinctly average verging on boring, mainly let down by the poor editing (although Singaporean censors may be partly to blame for that) and some laughable acting and scripting, A good example of the latter is the cringeworthy English dialogue for the character of Homer Lea, which is played by (what seems to be) an inexperienced Western actor. Maybe it's the script's fault, but he's the Jar Jar Binks of this production. Fortunately his scenes are very limited in number, but the film could have done without them altogether and be better for it.

All in all, I learned a little Chinese history. I just wish it was more entertaining.

1911 is an uneven monument to Chinese revolutionaries

[YohjiArmstrong · 22 November 2012]

Plot: Modernising Chinese revolutionaries try to overthrow the corrupt and antiquated government.

Essentially a very expensive drama-documentary, "1911" commendably tries to pay tribute to all involved in the 1911 Revolution - and in doing so makes the story incomprehensible to anyone who isn't an expert and unemotionally involving even to those who are. This is because of the frequent jumps between disparate groups, events and time periods and the lack of explanation and of character development. The closest this film gets to being a conventional historical epic is in the characters of Sun Yat-Sen, who puts the case for the revolution gracefully whilst provides firm leadership, and Jackie Chan's charismatic general (who has only one kung fu scene, included almost as a sop to Jackie Chan films). International audiences will notice that Jackie Chan can act and will appreciate the ferocious battle scenes but will be mystified by the plot. It's worth noting the careful path this film treads: still revolutionary (i.e. seeing the 1911 Revolution as the predecessor to the Communist state founded in 1949, as official doctrine prescribes) whilst noting the approval shown to the more Western aspects (the necessity of popular support for the state). Ultimately a worthy but failed venture - especially as the film fails to take note of the devastation caused by the 1911 Revolution (which weakened the traditional state without fully replacing it, leading to the bloody anarchy that bedevilled China in the 1920s and 1930s).

Enjoyable

[jadomaha · 6/10 · 18 May 2019]

I bought this movie because I am a sucker for historical pieces especially if they're related to anything turn of the century. The movie itself has a good story and a stunning historical background. However, the movie jumps around quite a lot. One scene we're in the heat of battle, the next we're back in London. Also, the acting from the non-Chinese actors is sub par at best. However, that can be expected from a foreign film/director. See it for Jackie Chan who plays his part magnificently and the battle scenes.

Forceful but bewildering

[badajoz-1 · 6/10 · 20 November 2012]

A story about the 1911 Chinese Revolution headed by Sun Yat Sen, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty, tries to cover too much ground for those unfamiliar with its details. It races over three continents with a cast of thousands, concentrating on several key figures, with some of the smallest titles on screen to tell you where and when you are in 1911/1912. It is quite confusing and, on DVD very difficult to follow the names of revolutionary heroes and changes of place and time - it is not told sequentially! However, one gets the gist of a powerful movement led by a small group trying to overthrow hundreds of years of history and a mighty (if decaying inwardly) imperial apparatus. Jackie Chan as part director and star (as the General who led the Revolutionary forces) is very good in a character role, but some of the others look a little po-faced as they play national heroes. The main strength of the film is the revolutionary rhetoric and the powerful battle scenes - leading the way towards the Great War (why did not the West look at how this war was fought before killing hundreds of thousands to learn lessons?!)- which grip and horrify in equal measure, and even manage to show some cowardice! A pity a much longer film or TV series was not attempted so that we Westerners could understand things a little better!

HK Neo Reviews: 1911 Revolution

[webmaster-3017 · 5/10 · 29 October 2011]

There is a moment in this latest propaganda film directed by Jackie Chan where they try to compare the French Revolution (1799) with the Chinese Revolution. As you know, the French Revolution involves a little man named Napoleon Bonaparte. More interestingly, Napoleon boldly claimed – "I am the revolution." I am not sure that is the kind of selfish nature that the Chinese government is after, but that's for another day. Sun Yat-Sen is probably a selfless man and that's a rare quality, but as a film, 1911 does not work. It is far too uneven, confusing and even to the point of boredom at times. Sure, there are some good bits and pieces, but Jackie Chan misses the mark in directing a patriotic version of a history lesson, rather than a movie experience. In fact, the focus is squarely on Sun Yat-Sen's character that the film tends to neglect everyone else in the movie, including developing Jackie Chan's Huang Xing role. By neglecting those around him, the film never seems to engage, involve or move the audience as a result. Perhaps, Chan should have been more self-indulgent and selfish, by focusing more on himself, but then again this would have been another film altogether. It is by no means a fail attempt at something different from Chan, but sometimes, trying hard is not good enough. I don't know what more to say, but the film just doesn't work for me…

Neo rates it 5.5/10

• www.thehkneo.com

Warning: don't use as a studying medium

[Pallo-Panchino · 7/10 · 2 August 2014]

I usually never write reviews but this time I felt it was my obligation to warn people who want to watch it to learn about the revolution.

I had to study for an exam on Chinese history and to take a break I decided to watch this movie to help me link the chronology of events together, and it was a bad idea... It actually confused me more.

I found the movie OK (nothing mind-blowing but not a waste of my time either, the battle scenes were very well shot and the dialogue engaging) but it seemed like all the events I had learned about were scattered among the movie. For example by watching this movie one would think that empress Cixi (played magnificently by Joan Chen) was alive during the time of the revolution, while she actually died in 1908.

Then again I wasn't able to translate entirely the big texts in Chinese that linked one scene to the other so maybe I missed out on something there I don't know.

I don't think the movie is biased, in my opinion it's actually one of the few history movies that (even if confusingly) depicts the events for what they were. Shikai was incredibly corrupt (in the future would even declare himself the new emperor); Cixi kinda cared for the destiny of China; the Western world DID see China as a cake to split, saying otherwise would be ignoring the history of the time; and not in any particular order but that's how Yatsen led the revolution...simple as that.

Unadulterated Rubbish? No! It's Adulterated

[tzer0 · 2/10 · 13 May 2012]

*****SPOILER ALERT!***** This movie is pre-spoiled. Oh, and the revolution succeeds. I gave it 2 stars because Jackie Chan did get one fighting scene in. That was worth one star. The other star is for... well, I'm not entirely sure what it's for. Effort maybe. Comically bad effects certainly.

I guess this is Communist China's version on Patton. So instead of being epic and exciting it's epic and long windedly boring. Not that it's not entirely worth seeing. There are a few moments, but you have to add your own jokes, like an MST3K flick.

Like the sound effects. They have the same cocking sound for every bolt action rifle, which wouldn't be too bad, except it sounds like a lever or pump action instead. That along with the sound of empty casings being dropped for fully loaded bullets, as well as spent casings, and a ricochet, that seems to be lifted directly from the Rainbow Six video game, used from everything from ricochets to cannons going off completely take you out of the film worse than every grenade in a Chuck Norris movie exploding with a big gas fireball.

There are other things, like the "Go Pee" scene. Jackie Chan is leading one, of many, battles in the film and a Vicker's or Maxim type machine gun overheats and seizes up. He tells the soldier to pee on it. Not that this didn't happen, but he pees on the jacket of the water cooled gun, not in it. Not sure that would have worked for long and it would have been tough to keep a line of soldiers constantly urinating on it in the middle of a battle. And speaking of jackets, poor Jackie Chan has to lead a couple of battles without a uniform. And it seems like as soon as he gets one he gives it away to his politician friend before he even sets foot off the boat.

That's another thing. Every ship in the film looks like a CG shot from Titanic. It's almost like this movie was made with a kit. Every sound and visual effect has a sameness to is. It's almost comical. Did I say almost? It IS comical. Almost as funny as the leader of the communist revolution begging the heads of the "Imperialist Bank" for money to help end Capitalism. Yep, that happens.

So, if you want to see Jackie Chan direct and star in a War Epic sprinkled liberally with comically bad effects, that lots of speeches, and the most propaganda shots since the Battleship Potemkin, this is the movie for you. Otherwise it's a little like the Chinese film industry's attempt to make the Last Emperor from the other side. So despite lots of battle scenes, rather than being exciting, its a bit tedious. So while I feel I understand their attempt to escape oppression better, they seem to have only succeeded in trying to legitimize the new repression, and in making a epically long winded film that would rival and political speech.

And speaking of speech. Jackie Chan has a very uncharacteristically gruff voice when speaking Chinese. Though it fits fine with the tough military officer character he plays in the movie, it makes it all the more surprising and funny when he speaks English and it's the same Jackie Chan from the V-8 commercials on TV.

Goes good with The Last Emperor, 55 Days in Peking, The Sand Pebbles and or Reds.

Interesting as a history lesson...

[sonnygoten · 4/10 · 24 July 2020]

... but not as a gripping movie experience. It's also difficult to follow for people, who are not already familiar with this history, because of all the names being thrown around of historical figures, which, except for the Jackie Chan character, aren't exactly fleshed out very well. It would probably have been better to cut this up into a series of movies that focused on the various characters and events separately, but at a more in-depth level. Right now, however, it's a bit of a jumbled mess.

A movie to never be forgotten. Instant Classic of Cinema.

[kspaziani · 10/10 · 27 September 2011]

Excellence is too easy a term to describe the brilliant film Mr. Chan has put together. As a life long fan I have followed his progression (and regression in the states aside from a few good films such as the Shanghai Noon and Knights movies, along with Karate Kid, Around the World in 80 days gets a big nod for having Sammo Hung along with Andy Lau)

Donnie Yen was in a movie along with an actor that is tied with Jackie Chan as my favorite... Tony Leung Ka-Fai. - It was called Assasians and Bodyguards. That movie pretty much sets up the scene for 1911 pocket watches and all (you'll see plenty of pocket watches in this film, thats for sure.) I suggest watching it for more background on who Dr. Sun is and why he is so important to the revolution as A&B takes place in 1906.

Lets skip ahead 5 years to 1911, The country is in Chaos, the rebels (good guys!) are being slaughtered but taking out the enemy for the cause to gain Nationalism and end the evil Qing Dynasty. - No propaganda is used in the film which surprised me, I sat in a theater in Hong Kong to loud "AHHH" "Ohhh" "OH MY GOD" "WOW" even some women crying. by the end a standing ovation occurred and I was floored by what I had experienced.

Jackie Chan's labor of love, and wallet as he spent 30 Million American Dollars of his own money to fund this movie, pays off in the biggest way possible, by making an instant classic. by the FIRST 2 minutes you know the movie is going to be brutally epic and heart tearingly painful, in a gorgeous way. The movie moves into action very quickly, and Jackie Chan's role as the 8 fingered general is so very well suited, a very important historical figure but not as important as Winston Chao's Dr. Sun, the leader and idealist / strategist of the rebellion, Thus they share screen time 50/50, although the most shining moments in action and drama are with Jackie - Soaked in blood unloading endless hail of bullets to a nice kung-fu realism scene. This movie has something for everyone that has an interest in War, Drama, even Romance.

This is an instant classic, an easy 10 out of 10. I'd probably give it a 99%/100% if I had to rate it, only a point off due to wishing the movie added an extra 20-25 minutes 5 more of the amazing action that engulfs the film already, and another 20 minutes of more character development during the warfare; but don't get me wrong at 2 hours everything you need to know and will need to know is given.. and the performances are to die for. Hong Kong Film Assoc. will most certainly give Jackie the Movie of the year, I hope they give him Actor of the year as he deserves it along with Director (split award). Perhaps Bing BIng Lee as best supporting actress and Winston Chao as best supporting actor.

Go see this. Now.

It could have been a great historical epic, but it's not.

[redtiago · 4/10 · 27 April 2022]

A historic film that doesn't work out well. Despite its rigor and historical interest, it's a not-so-smooth, confusing and uninteresting film. It seems to me that they had problems in the editing and it's a shame because it has an intense and modern scenography in the battle scenes, good interpretations.

It looks like a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces are forced to fit together and don't quite belong there, resulting in a confusing picture. Who knows if because of having so many directors...

It could have been a great historical epic, but it's not...

Too much tell and too little show makes this epic less a movie than an underwhelming history lesson lacking in heart, spirit and passion

[moviexclusive · 27 September 2011]

Jackie Chan celebrates the milestone of the 100th film in his career with the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, significant for ending the reign of the Qing Dynasty and ushering in a new era with the founding of the Republic of China. Simply titled '1911', the expensive historical epic sees Chan taking on the role of General Huang Xing, who was leader Dr Sun Yat-Sen's deputy and commander of the revolutionaries in several cities across South China.

Besides starring in the film, Chan also bankrolled the US$30mil drama and serves as 'general director' alongside TV director Zhang Qi- so let it be known that this is also Jackie's passion project. Nonetheless, good intentions do not a good film make- and '1911' is an excellent case in point. Meticulously researched and assembled to make it as authentic a depiction of history as possible, it is nonetheless underwhelming and lacking in heart, spirit and most of all passion. It is also less a film than a history lesson, and far less compelling than its peers 'Founding of a Republic' and 'Beginning of the Great Revival'.

Yes, it is ostensibly modelled against the latter two similarly big- budget historical pictures that have taken a momentous chapter in China's history and turned it into crowd-pleasing blockbuster entertainment with a who's-who list of actors in roles both large and small. But even with 'Founding's' screenwriters Wang Xingdong and Chen Baoguang, '1911' lacks the finesse of both its genre predecessors, attempting too strenuously to squeeze as many characters and plot lines as possible into its two-hour running time.

We have no qualms with the film's method of introducing its characters with on screen captions, but there are just too many in here to even matter. Indeed, the sheer number of them means that some like Jaycee Chan's Zhang Zhenwu, Yu Shaoqun's Wang Jingwei, or Dennis To's Xiong Bingkun have less than a minute of screen time, and disappear as quickly from their audience's mind. The objective of honouring these martyrs and their respective contributions to the revolution is admirable, but some judiciousness should very well have been exercised to ensure that those given mention do make a difference in the film too.

The consequence of portraying so many characters at once is also that the first half of the film feels extremely haphazard, fast-forwarding from one event to another with little continuity. In fact, this film probably takes the crown for being most heavily reliant on text throughout its duration to explain each and every sequence, and the ill- conceived technique results in a film that feels oddly like watching a history textbook unfold before one's eyes. It doesn't help too that editor Yang Hongyu likes to interrupt scenes just as they are building up with flashbacks or parallel yet unrelated events, effectively preventing the audience from engaging with the characters within.

And even though history is supposed to be an objective and dispassionate exercise, that is no excuse for the lack of any true emotion in the film. Busy juggling the mammoth cast and characters, neither Jackie Chan nor Zhang Qi seem to have paid much attention to the development of the key roles- Huang Xing, Xu Zonghan and even Sun Yat-Sen. Their definition here is essentially one-note- whether the wise intellectual (Sun) or the brave military commander (Huang) or the quiet yet strong-willed wife (Xu)- and you're not likely to feel any differently for any of the characters before and after the film. The only interesting character amongst them all is General Yuan Shikai (Sun Chun), depicted as shrewd and cunning in brokering the abdication of the feudal throne.

In truth, for all its promise of being a gritty war movie a la 'Saving Private Ryan', it is the political struggles in the last days of the Qing dynasty between the provisional president Sun Yat-Sen and Yuan Shikai that proves the most intriguing. Crammed into the last half hour of the film, this particular theme emphasises the challenge of instituting a new political regime which would replace a system more than 2000 years old. In contrast, the battle scenes lack intensity or any genuine thrills for that matter, often drowning in melodramatic music to demonstrate the heroism of the outnumbered and outgunned revolutionary forces against the Qing's military might.

And we suspect that Jackie Chan fans may be most let down by that, since we do expect much better from the veteran actor who's given us some of the most thrilling action movies in the 80s and 90s. Instead, Chan spends most of the time in the film looking old and aggrieved, with only a brief fight between Chan and three men coming close to the old Jackie we've grown to love. What's perhaps even more perplexing is that while Chan gets top billing, his role as Huang Xing is overshadowed by Winston Chao's Sun Yat-Sen and Sun Chun's Yuan Shikai- not simply because both Chao and Chun are better dramatic actors, but also because there is more screen time devoted to both.

Precisely because we are huge fans of the star, it pains us to say that Jackie Chan's 100th movie fails to live up to its expectations as a milestone film in his career or as a tribute to a significant event in modern China's history. Better suited as a TV movie on the History Channel than a lavish blockbuster epic, '1911' could be useful as educational material for those looking for an introduction to the founding of the republic- anyone else will likely be disappointed.

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Very disappointing

[grantss · 3/10 · 23 February 2014]

Very disappointing. I was expecting a decent docu-drama on the 1911 Chinese revolution. However, even calling this a docu-drama might be giving it more credibility than it is due. Much of the "history" seems contrived for nationalistic purposes. There is a huge amount of embellishment, many of it simply to glorify the revolutionaries and put down everyone else, including the west. In some ways it is nothing more than Chinese propaganda.

Script is lame. Dialogue could not be more unrealistic. Even the battle scenes are over-dramatized. Plus, because Jackie Chan is included in the cast we are obliged to have a gratuitous, totally-out- of-place martial arts fight scene...

Performances are mostly woeful.

Avoid.