This is a wonderfully sly satire that adroitly
sticks a sharp pin into the fat side of Communist thought in China circa
the late 1980’s. And most peculiarly, it takes place in kindergarten. Four
year old Quiang isn’t very happy when he is dropped off by his busy father
in a co-ed boarding kindergarten. He quickly learns that good behavior earns
the children the cherished “little red flowers” and that for bad deeds they
are taken away. The teachers are kindly but very intent on performing what
they view as their duty – creating an environment of conformity in which
the children are all expected to put on their clothes the same way, go to
the bathroom the same way, eat the same way and behave the same way. Those
that fail lose a little red flower and are lectured to in front of the other
children. Initially, Quiang does his best to conform but when he can’t fit
in he turns into a rowdy mischievous troublemaker bullying the other kids
and becoming a rumormonger. For this unsocial behavior he is first isolated
and then goes through re-education. Very charming and adorably cute with
bunches of little urchins running about, the film definitely has a point
to make but in a very subtle humorous manner. I couldn’t help but wonder
while watching though whether this film could even have a theatrical run
in the United States because of the many scenes of child nudity – things
have gotten to such a point here that I am sure someone would raise a major
fuss.
