Manuel Regla
Professor Wexler
English 495
5 April, 2014
Socio-Economics
on Two Wheels
Karl Marx once said “The more the division of
labor and the application of machinery extend, the more does competition extend
among the workers.” Marx is widely recognized for being the most notorious
communist in history, as he spent the majority of his life living within the
“red” curtain. His ideas of economics in relation to social class have become
staples in the consideration and analysis of potential growth and economic evolution
within a country. One of the best examples of this type of evolution is a country who like Marx, is notable for the color
“red,” that is of course the country of China. China in contemporary terms is
considered to be level with America, if not superior, in terms of both economic
manufacturing and production. But China was not always as financially adept as
it is now presently considered; the decisive boom came in the form of basic
modernization that was represented in both industrialization and monetary
competition. China’s economic revolution is sought and exemplified in clarity
in the films China: A Century of
Revolution and Beijing Bicycle.
Both films clearly demonstrate China’s revolutionary transition from
antiquation to modernization in terms of economics, social class, and
ultimately opportunity.
Looking at China in its infancy, the country took several
significant steps in becoming the powerhouse it is recognized as today. The
most transformative of these stages was the introduction of industrialization
and a capitalistic framework. China: A
Century of Revolution carefully documented the economic revolution of the
country. Spotlighting the grandness of the city’s skyscrapers and how the
citizens swarmed to venture in what capitalism had to offer them. The documentary
displayed this particular financially driven change in the people and the country
itself. The country life of China which once was a respected institution had
begun to be overshadowed and undervalued with the booming skylines and big businesses.
Randy Martin further discusses this type of global shift in his piece “Where
Did the Future Go.” Martin states: “One
shift lies in how finance asks people to imagine their future or more
specifically to see the future as already at hand.” Martin here details how finance
plays a role in how society not only thinks, but acts. To not think of possible
dire financial implications, but to believe the “future” had already been provided.
As exemplified in the country’s people transitioning from agriculture to a more
lucrative and popular lifestyle.
Where China: A Century of Revolution tirelessly documents China’s
economic timeline, the film Beijing
Bicycle takes a more symbolic approach to the transcendental socio-economical
phase in the country’s history. Beijing
Bicycle and its director Xiaoshuai Wang place
the viewer smack dab in the middle of the period in a clever fashion, as the
viewer is in the same disoriented psychological state as the film’s protagonist
Guo. The character of Guo represents
China’s country life, as he travels from his agriculture upbringings to the capital
city to begin a job as a bicycle messenger. The film spares no time to display Guo’s
reaction to the city life. The film’s cinematography captures Guo underneath the
towering skylines, freezing the wonder on his face, and reviving it over and
over again as he peddles across the screen. Guo reiterates the country’s new
ideology when it comes to not only economics, but the role of social class as
well. He does not only feel awkward within the luxurious landscape, but around
its inhabitants as well. Guo’s brief interactions with other characters often
lead to confrontation and social snafus. The majority of the time he chooses to
remain silent, which does not reflect respect, but submission. It can be argued
Guo’s country life upbringing has made him submissive to the “superior” city
folk, whom he can never truly share a conversation or home. Guo’s ideology may
be best exemplified in the altercation with the film’s other central character Jian.
Guo suspects Jian for stealing his bicycle and in turn attempts to steal it
back which leads into a chase, and ultimately altercation. When being cornered
and intimated by Jian’s friends, Guo remains silent as if he is not able to
comprehend the language in which they speak. They quickly insult him, his
clothes, and his social worth. It is in this scene, does the film not only
capture Guo’s displacement, but China’s distinct class division.
Opportunity truly is a powerful
force. If Beijing Bicycle symbolizes
China’s alteration to the path to economic endeavor, it also provides a bold
statement in regards to the role of opportunity in relation to economic and social
successes. Opportunity is most represented in the film in the form of the
bicycle. The bicycle is symbolic for multiple purposes in the film. For one, it
represents China’s industrialization, but socially symbolizes class worth.
Throughout the film Guo and Jian compete for this token. When each of the young
men is in possession of the bike, they capture the essence of opportunity. This
results in their social good fortune and standing each of the men feel, which
relates to their overall happiness. The role of the bicycle in the film is
crucial to comprehending the character’s motivations. Their ultimate goal is to
not only obtain social acceptance but become a symbol of it. The character’s
motivation in the film once again returns to the idea of China’s introduction
to modernistic social and economic competition. The natural human instinct is
the cutthroat business agenda, to get the job, to get the girl, and obliterate
who stands in one’s way. Beiing Bicycle is able to capture and display all of
these themes solely through the use of its central characters and a singular bicycle.
Ultimately, China and other countries like it will face their moment in history
where a path is taken, and its people will gradually have to adapt to that path,
whether it is on two feet or two wheels.
China’s
road to economic dominance was taken through monumental moments. These moments
were not as drastic as wars, or revolt, but of a simple introduction to monetary
competition and social upholding. Both China:
A Century of Revolution and Beijing
Bicycle exhibit these types of changes in their own methods. The documentary
type of approach historically demonstrates how China has gotten to where it viably
is today. Whereas Beijing Bicycle, takes
a more poetic approach to unearth China’s metamorphosis. Using the bicycle as a
symbol for multiple functionaries of Chinese socio-economic history, the film
excels in painting a picture of individuals trapped in rotating door of the
past and concededly the future. In the end, a country is made up of its people,
and in turn the choices that country makes drastically alters not only the individual’s’
lives, but their inner and outward perception.
Works
Cited
Beijing
Bicycle. Dir. Wang Xiaoshuai. Perf. Lin Cui. Pyramide
Productions, 2001. DVD.
China:
A Century of Revolution. Dir. Sue Williams. Zeitgeist,
2002. DVD.
Martin,
Randy. "Where Did The Future Go?" Logos Journal, 2006. Web. 10 May
2014.
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