We might develop a theory about writing (and about movies?) that the best works could be those that do not convince us of something; rather, they help us articulate, develop, and explore our own thoughts and feelings. Since “Farewell my Concubine” offers, inter alia, a brutal critique of the Cultural Revolution), a few words here from Mao (from 1857): “Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land.”

Categories: William Eaton, ZiLL • Tags: Bob Fosse, Dr. Caligari, Farewell My Concubine, Jaoui et Bacri, Lawrence of Arabia, Mao, movies, Paolo Sorrentino, The Third Man, Virginia Woolf, Woody Allen