Episode 34: Opium War: The Motion Picture

After the failures of the Cultural Revolution, and the advent of economic liberalization, the Communist Party needed to refocus its propaganda efforts to stay current.

1997s 'The Opium War' was the country's most expensive film to date. Made partially to commemorate the return of Hong Kong to Chinese control, it attempted to tell a version of the 1st Opium War that aligned to the CCPs narrative of the century of shame.

In this movie we talk the good, the bad, and the funny, going over the movie, and comparing it to the actual historical event.