The Coming War on China

As many reviewers noted, the film has a fantastic start. It explores the inhumane and criminal behavior of the U. S. in the Marshall Islands. If you didn't hate America before, you will now. The documentary portrays a country built upon savagely abusing and dominating other people which they don't even consider human enough. That's the truth, it's history, no argument there, and most of it is propaganda-ed away and slowly washed to protect the image America wants to project. One can get behind that.

However, the rest of the film continues in the same sensationalist way to attack American exceptionalism and disregard for other nations, portrays China as an innocent victim and the U. S. as an imperialist aggressor, filling the Earth with military bases that can only lead to a devastating war. That part is pure propaganda, too, and the quality of the content drops immediately and stays down.

If this would have been a 45 minute documentary about the rape of the Marshall Islands by the U. S., it would have probably won awards. As it is, it feels like a CGTN news item, created by a person who is clearly biased against America. A man can hope, but how wonderful it would have been to make a miniseries in which each episode was so viscerally against the military jingoism of a specific country? Start with the U. S., continue with China, go to the U. K., move to Russia and then down the list. Or to at least make an analysis that views all countries from the same lens. Alas, this documentary is not it.

Bottom line: the first 45 minutes is a must watch. The rest is a waste of time, even if some of the content continues to be highly informative.

I liked the way Japanese and Korean people protest against the military bases that mar their islands. In Romania we can't even protest against log cutting without protesters getting seriously injured and their families threatened. I cannot imagine us protesting against American bases.

The movie started with the Bikini islands, which is a foreign island FAR from the US mainland annexed by the States for military and human laboratory purposes. China is indeed making a move on the disputed area of the South China Sea. While I am not defending the absurdity of this action, it is hypocritical of the US to criticize China while itself is spreading its military influence all over the world for it's economical and political purposes. The movie is rather unbiased because it also exposes the social inequality of China as a result of the economic reforms. Both countries have their problems, but this movie gives an insight to the viewers for the reasons we wouldn't see from the western media: Being demonized by the western mainstream propaganda, China has no choice but to react to the suppression of the States or it will meet the same fate as the Bikini islands or the Okinawa island.

I've really enjoyed Pilger's other documentaries but this one disappointed me. It's mostly technically competent (some inconsistent sound with Pilger's narration occasionally), and I'll give it props for its good intentions.

It covers issues that aren't talked about much, the same as many of Pilger's works, but the issue is the execution rather than the content. Things don't build and progress in a satisfying way, and the different subjects weren't linked together as coherently as I feel different (but related) subjects were in his other documentaries that I've watched.

So overall it's definitely not terrible, especially because of what it's trying to do- it's just disappointing when judged by how engaging it is.

The key lesson is we don't want to repeat such atrocities again.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Seasoned journalist John Pilger casts a light on the amount of US Naval Bases situated around China and the amount of warships pointing in their direction, and the globally catastrophic consequences this hostility could create. He charts the shameful, untold history of the US army's activities on the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific, where they were lied to about chemical testing and the terrible consequences it's had years later, as well as revealing how General Mao may not have been the monster the imperialist west made him out to be.

China is certainly the main contender looking to take it's shot at being top boy on the world stage, from trade to military might, but it seems the almighty US of A doesn't want to go down without a fight, and, knowing its enemy, is aggressively trying to keep it in its place. At least that's the picture that director John Pilger is trying to portray, and although he offers alternative viewpoints to speak their mind, it's clear throughout which country he thinks is most to blame for this feud. At any rate, he's certainly produced something that is a contrary assault on the western media's presentation of Chinese life under a 'communist' regime.

Pilger highlights what could only be described as one of the US's dirty little secrets, questionable testing on minuscule little islands tucked out of sight off the coast of China, where untold damage was inflicted in pursuit of a rich, powerful countries aggressive expansion. Not being familiar with any of his work before, it's hard to know if any political affiliation is swaying his views, but he's certainly created a well researched and eye opening documentary that just about manages to excuse the just under two hour running time.

An absorbing and, ultimately, chilling account of what may be to come. ****