The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.0

The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 20, 2010

Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's "The Founding of a Republic" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributor MegaStar. The film boasts an impressive cast, but the presence of Jet Li, Andy Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Lai Leon and Li Bin in it is more symbolic than it is significant. With optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles. Region-Free.

Tang Guoqiang as Mao Zedong

Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin’s The Founding of a Republic is a film about half-truths, a lavish piece of red propaganda created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party founding of China. It is also a film that most Western viewers will have a very difficult time following given the endless citations of names, locations and events that led to Mao Zedong’s rise to power.

The Founding of a Republic opens up with Mao's (Tang Guoqiang) arrival in Chongqing from Yan'an where he is greeted by Chiang Kai-shek (Zhang Guoli), chairman of the Nationalist Government of China. In front of an enthusiastic group of reporters, the two men shake hands and promise to find common ground and common-sense solutions in order to bring peace to China.

Meanwhile, it becomes obvious that the Nationalist Government would have a difficult time relocating the capital back to Nanjing because Mao’s supporters have launched a series of attacks south of the Yangtze River, the most serious ones being in and around Shanghai and Hangzhou. Together with Zhang Lan (Wang Bing), President of the China Democratic League, Mao approaches Kai-shek to discuss the possibility of unifying all parties in a coalition government that would guarantee peace and stability in the region. On October 10, 1945, a peace agreement, known as The Double Tenth Agreement, is signed.

The United States immediately reconfirms its support for the Nationalist Government, but urges Kai-shek to consider broadening its base to include other political elements in the country. Shortly after that, the Soviet Union declares that it will not recognize a future coalition government. Meanwhile, negotiations begin but many prominent members of Kai-shek's party openly refuse to support a coalition government with Mao's men playing a key role in it.

In 1946, almost a month after the Nationalist Government is relocated to Nanjing, The Double Tenth Agreement is officially rejected and the war resumes. The rest of The Founding of a Republic focuses on specific tactical and diplomatic moves that led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, the selection of its national flag, the renaming of Beiping (to Beijing) and its selection as a state capital, the approval of the national anthem, and Mao's election as Chairman of the Central People's Government.

It is impossible to take seriously The Founding of a Republic given its blatant misinterpretation of well documented historic facts and disturbing depiction of Mao as a passionate proponent of peace and democracy. Many of the complex negotiations between Mao and Kai-shek, for example, present the late communist leader as a great tactician and a man who was always a few steps ahead of everyone else, including his closest allies, and his opponent as a deeply disturbed man torn between supporting his party and the country he loved.

As expected, the film also completely ignores the mass executions Mao's men committed under his guidance once they began gaining control in territories previously controlled by the Nationalist Government. Instead, occasionally there is a small text card that pops up on the screen announcing that such and such Nationalist agent has been captured and tried in court.

The U.S. and U.S.S.R involvement in the conflict is also barely mentioned. Aside from a few statements produced by Patrick Jay Hurley, U.S. Ambassador to China, and Joseph Stalin, the rest of the film practically ignores the two superpowers and their respectable positions on a number of key issues.

The Founding of a Republic boasts an impressive cast. But the presence of Jet Li, Andy Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Lai Leon and Li Bin in the film is more symbolic than it is significant.

The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.30:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's The Founding of a Republic arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributor MegaStar.

The high-definition transfer is very strong. Fine object detail is excellent, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is also very convincing - reds, yellows, blues, greens, browns, blacks and whites look rich and well saturated. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern. I also did not detect any disturbing signs of excessive noise filtering, artifacts, or ringing. Furthermore, blown through a digital projector, The Founding of a Republic remains stable. I also did not detect any disturbing flecks, scratches, cuts, or stains to report in this review. To sum it all up, the video presentation is indeed quite remarkable, and probably for a good reason. I would have been very surprised if The Founding of a Republic arrived with a mediocre high definition transfer on a BD25. (Note: Even though the back cover of the Blu-ray disc indicates a Region-A only status, it is actually Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1. MegaStar has provided optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

As expected, the audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. The Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track has a very strong dynamic amplitude that really provides the film with an extra dose of energy. Furthermore, the dialog is crisp, clear and exceptionally easy to follow. While watching the film, I also did not detect any disturbing balance issues to report in this review.

The Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is, as expected, identical to the Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Both track emphasize the film's "epic" score very well. Again, during the few scenes that I tested with the Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track, I did not detect any disturbing audio fluctuations to report in this review.

The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Blu-ray:

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In Mandarin, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette offering an abundance of raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Mandarin, not subtitled in English. (36 min, 480/60i).

MV - a music video with footage from the film. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the performer's name. (5 min, 1080p).

DVD (Region-3):

Documentary - a rather long documentary feature focusing on Mao's controversial legacy. In Mandarin, or Cantonese, not subtitled in English. (69 min).

The Founding of a Republic Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin's The Founding of a Republic is a lavish piece of red propaganda that I had a difficult time enduring. While the intentions behind it might have been noble, I doubt the favorable depiction of Mao's actions throughout the film would resonate well with anyone outside of the People's Republic of China. On the other hand, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based MegaStar, looks and sounds terrific. The best I could do is cautiously recommend that you RENT this film.