THE EAST IS RED!!!

Saw the latter half or so of a wonderful ChiCom propaganda epic about running the Guomindang out of some part of China or another (No subtitles, all dialog in Chinese, so we had no real idea; not, however so subtle we didn't get the big picture.) Sat. night on broadcast channel 44.6. (ICN formerly IAVC or something; Google if you care.)

Vast panoramas of underpopulated battle scenes (A cast of maybe a couple of thousand, not thousands upon thousands, most of them no doubt members of the P.L.A.) many explosions & one helluva lotta smoke. (Wouldn't surprise this reporter if a whole division's allotment of smoke grenades was used.)

Didn't need to understand Chinese when Nationalist officers were shown shooting their own soldiers who turned & ran. Later a high-ranking Nationalist officer plugged a fellow officer in cold blood in his command post. Defeatism? Refusing an order? The Nationalist officers are always surrounded by guards & American equipment, while

the Commies are true men of the people who move on foot & horseback.

Seriously. There is a fucking sabers-drawn cavalry charge in the finale, as the Nationalist forces are thoroughly routed.

Other bases touched:

• Partisans, mostly a Red Detachment of Wymyn. Their leader sacrifices herself superheroically cutting the fuses leading to boxes stenciled "TNT MADE IN USA" w/ which the Nationalists were going to destroy a dam.

• The noble machine gunner slaughtering scores of the enemy who is himself cut down; there's always another hero to jump in & continue the slaughter. (Three times minimum, just in the part I saw.)

• And good shootin': Virtually every Nationalist who gets plugged grabs at his chest before falling down.

THE PEOPLE UNITED SHALL NEVER BE DEFEATED!!!