Good movie but grossly overrated

Best movie ever!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is the most repulsive, idiotic and absurd documentary I've ever seen. How many people starved to death under Kim-Jong Il, 2 or 3 million? Mao's policies led directly to the starvation of 18 to 48 MILLION! THIS IS NOT FUNNY! Even if you were trying to be funny about Mao the professor's "jokes" mostly take the form of infantile mockery of Chinese accents.This is a fan letter from an idiot who for some reason has a job teaching somewhere. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHERE! Did you know Mao was in favor of democratic elections every 4 years? The professor takes Mao's statement of this totally at face value. Mao was a great democrat! Wow, where did I ever get the impression he wasn't? Maybe his entire history in power. I don't know if I was more offended as a screenwriter, as an MA in Political Science. I think just as a human being. Hitler could only be so lucky to have a hagiographer as sycophantic, dishonest and immoral as the fool that made this.

"The Passion of the Mao" starts out promisingly enough. Its cute cartoon scenes cause chuckles, and the overt comparison to Jesus is both a welcome mockery of Mel Gibson's film of a similar name and an indication that the subject matter will be treated lightheartedly. A little cheeky irreverence, especially with controversial topics, is always welcome. And yet the joking tone conceals some egregious conclusions. From Mao's victory in 1949 through to his death in 1976, this film would have you believe that everything is roses. Industrial output is up, agricultural output is up, life expectancy is up, education is up. Even famine and social unrest get a positive spin. That Mao was eccentric but harmless, and more importantly, blameless, is the byline. Numerous Chinese scholars at American universities are interviewed to that effect too, and viewers will have a fun time trying to spot a single negative word. "Westerners lapped up the idea that Chinese citizens in the 60s and 70s were victims," criticises one. Well, dear, that's because many of them were. And so it goes on. Finally, the filmmakers chose a narrator with abysmal Chinese pronunciation, and didn't include subtitles for some of their interviewees' whose English was a chore to follow. But as finishing touches on a flawed film, I suppose it's fitting.

History is a subject that I found boring as a youngster. Before watching this movie I felt decidedly ignorant of twentieth century Chinese history.I highly recommend Feigon's documentary to anyone who has a desire to learn world history, tempered by an instinctive distaste for its traditional presentation. He livens up a comprehensive account of Mao's political life with various sordid details of his personal life. For example, I enjoyed learning that Chairman Mao did not brush his teeth.In the first viewing, the amount of material covered made me feel somewhat overwhelmed, which is why I want to watch it a second time.

China continues to grow as a major "player" in both the world economy and politics. In a very entertaining and provocative way, this film highlights the positive role Mao played in the development of China under his oft-controversial rule as well as how his decisions laid the groundwork for the China we know today. This film features great rare Russian archival footage mixed with interviews and crazy and fun animation. It creates a very lively overall pace to the film. All supported by the jovial, popular Chicago based comedian, Aaron Freeman. Due to the favorable light that the film squarely places Mao in, I also think THE PASSION OF THE MAO will generate heated debate over how history should regard him.