''Crazy English'' is a 1999 Chinese documentary directed by Zhang Yuan. The film premiered along with Zhang's '' Seventeen Years'' at the 1999

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. It established Zhang's position as a "legitimate" director after years of working independently from, and often at odds with, the Chinese authorities. In contrast to earlier films, like '' East Palace, West Palace'' (1997), ''Crazy English'' was produced with the cooperation of the state-owned

Xi'an Film Studio Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern Chin ...

, which enjoys a "presented by" billing in the film's credits.

Plot

The film follows one of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

's most popular motivational speakers, Li Yang, the founder of "

Crazy English ''Crazy English'' () is a brand name related to a non-traditional method of learning English in mainland China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exc ...

". Li is known for his stadium-sized presentations where he exhorts his audiences to engage in mass recitations of English phrases and

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a Literal and figurative language, figurative or non-literal meaning (linguistic), meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic speech, formulaic ...

s, often with a strong

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

bent: "Conquer English to Make China Stronger!". Li, however, has also courted controversy. Despite the fact that he teaches a foreign language, Li has never left China, a fact not revealed in the film until the end. Other common criticisms, including accusations that Li Yang is a "nationalist huckster" and that his methods do not actually improve English-speaking ability, receive a much more subtle presentation in Zhang's film. The film follows Li on his tours throughout China with a few interspersed interviews. Zhang Yuan has described the film as a combination of

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

's ''

Triumph of the Will ''Triumph of the Will'' () is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his name appears in the opening ...

'' and

Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential movies, often blending cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling. He has received several accolades incl ...

' ''

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. An adaptation of the Forrest Gump (novel), 1986 novel by Winston Groom, the screenplay of the film is written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks in the title rol ...

''.

Production history

The seeds for ''Crazy English'' first arose when Li Yang's manager asked to meet with Zhang Yuan at a bar in Beijing's

Sanlitun Sanlitun () is an area of the Chaoyang District, Beijing containing many bars, restaurants, and stores. It is a popular destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The area has been under almost constant regeneration since the late 2 ...

neighborhood. At the time Zhang Yuan had not even heard of Li Yang or his "Crazy English" programs.Berry, p. 152. After meeting with the manager, Zhang was sufficiently intrigued by the idea of a documentary about Li to arrange for an actual meeting with the motivational speaker. Once the two men met, Zhang Yuan "immediately" decided to make the film. Though made with the assent of official authorities, the filmmakers were nevertheless forced to make certain cuts before being allowed a limited release for their documentary. Zhang has noted that his own opinions of Li Yang vary dramatically from admiration to disgust. One critic also noticed Zhang's ambivalence in the film and noted that the film seems to shift from appreciation or amusement at Li Yang's methodologies to one darker in tone, as Li Yang's mass rallies begin to resemble Mao-era

Red Guard The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a ...

rallies or even Hitler's

Nuremberg Rally The Nuremberg rallies ( , meaning ) were a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party and held in the German city of Nuremberg from 1923 to 1938. The first nationwide party convention took place in Munich in January 1923, but the ...

Reception

Despite its official approval, ''Crazy English'' received only a limited release in select cities within China.Berry, p. 153 Zhang Yuan has stated that the film's reception within China was difficult to read, given the mass adoration (and criticism) that Li Yang often elicits. While China remained ambivalent, the west also responded to ''Crazy English'' with mixed reactions. At least one critic felt that the film was too long and better suited for

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

than film. On the other hand, the film journal ''

Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...

'' showered praise on ''Crazy English'', saying, "This is a fascinating film – for China watchers, for educators and for fans of the documentary film – and is an absolute must for festival patrons." As for the film's subject, Li Yang was reportedly less than pleased by the film's portrayal of him as a

demagogue A demagogue (; ; ), or rabble-rouser, is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, Appeal to emotion, appealing to emo ...

, and he has gone on to say that the film was "not a real documentary" accusing Zhang of manipulating the film to appeal to Western audiences.

References

;Sources * Berry, Michael (2005). "Wording up a Sweat in a Celluloid Sauna" in ''Speaking in Images: Interviews with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers''. Columbia University Press. . * Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yuan" in ''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers''. Routledge Publishing. .

External links

*
''Crazy English''
from the Chinese Movie Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Crazy English (Film) 1990s Mandarin-language films Chinese documentary films Films directed by Zhang Yuan 1999 documentary films Documentary films about words and language