As a Chinese viewer watching this film in a foreign country, my heart is filled with strange emotions, as if I have penetrated all the secrets of how people in developed Western democracies watch China. This film is about the system, about communism, about bureaucracy, about people, about class, about rights, and about Inevitably, the whole film about human nature is full of malicious satire and banter. For example, the title shot shoots students going to school and the busy scene in the cloakroom. Parents come to participate in the "teacher impeachment meeting" after school at night, and they also use the same cloakroom to sit in their children's seats. Seeing these short-sighted, greasy-faced parents seem to have predicted what those children will look like when they grow up
When a female teacher contacts new students, she usually asks them to report their names and introduce their parents’ job attributes. She writes them down one by one in the book. The parents are unemployed and unemployed and can help line up to buy eggs. The private goods are carefully confirmed that the rights are in their hands again. Someone commented that this teacher is no better than these hypocritical parents who seem to be exploited. Although she plays with power, she adheres to the principle of making the best use of everything and does not despise various occupations. Personally, I really don't agree with this point of view. Besides, instead of treating the female teacher as a narrative ontology, I would rather see her as a symbol or a metaphor for the ontology of communism.
Distorted "Communist" Ideals
The ideal characteristic of communism is to eliminate class divisions, liberate social resources, and distribute resources reasonably according to needs. Overwhelm the ruling class and capitalists. However, the "Comrade" in the film can rely on his martyr's widow to have Russian immediate family members to run rampant in the Czechoslovak Empire before the Velvet Revolution. She is not a high-spending capitalist, but she can enslave and support capitalists (the elite parents of the students in the film, such as lawyers and doctors) to work for her by political means. The rich class lives in the middle class and ordinary citizens correspond to the contemporary social narrative that proletarian workers can only be left behind.
The "realization" of communism
If it is only like this, the communist ideal may not die out, but the whole film seems to be about more than this. The director sets teachers as the center of power in the event, but it does not mean that all rights of other classes of people are erased. For example, parents can organize and initiate parent-teacher meetings. The silent, seemingly submissive parents who can sign petitions by teachers, all used their rights more or less privately in the process of satisfying teachers' selfish desires, and finally used their seemingly "limited" politically charged Power (democratic institutions and human rights symbolized by petition voting) has completed the subversion of power to some extent, and the children who are freed have a bright or rather pleasant future
But if you think about it, this victory has no glory at all, but it is another manifestation of the opposite. It is the decision based on the principle of profit maximization made by parents after weighing their own gains and losses (children's enrollment rate, etc.) and their opportunity costs. Except for a few The rest of the middle- and lower-class parents who were cornered by the female teacher's intimidation, or who resolutely decided to curb this behavior out of a sense of justice, still felt safe and comfortable in their own position: helping the uncompromising little ones. It’s not a bad deal to be busy for something that you can’t get in return for your own efforts. It will be oppressive if you don’t have access to powerful people, but if you do, you will be transformed and you will feel that you have a certain privilege.
Another attribute of such a group of people at the bottom who have tasted the sweetness is their flattery and attachment to those in power. In front of the person (the person who wrote the National Entrance Exam and an employee of the Ministry of Education) was just an ant. They instantly developed contempt for such a person's abuse of power and determination to try to bring her down, so they finally decided to sign the petition for their coming. Said the idea of bringing down the biggest power holders never seemed to come up, but the enthusiasm for bringing down the little power centers was high. Female teachers were hurt and incredible at the revolt of such a gang of vested interests. "I never asked them to do this. They were Voluntarily."
The question arises, how should rights be treated? Are they an important part of human society? Where will a fully decentralized society end up? Is the cult of privilege rooted in our genes? Is the communism we expect to achieve? Is it necessary to achieve? Can it really make people's lives better?
Revolutionary carnival
After playing the montage of the life of the students after they grew up, the director used a fade-in and fade-out transition. A pair of silver female teachers and a pair of very old Soviet-style high-heeled shoes appeared. A pair of sturdy legs belonging to middle-aged women appeared. The graceful gauze skirt swayed with the stride and gently wiped the skin of the legs and flew up again. The time background is the velvet revolution and the de-communization. The Czech female teacher has not changed her old habits at all, and still very "caring" for students and their parents Professional communism Her political backing is gone, but her intention to exercise power has not disappeared. I believe she still has followers. People have deconstructed political systems, cultural institutions, and economic systems in the revolution. What has been left or survived the purge has always been human nature and people's hearts
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