84
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100VarietyVarietyA gloriously cinematic documentay of epic, poetic sadness.
- 100The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenAn astonishing documentary of culture clash and the erasure of history amid China’s economic miracle.
- 100SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirChang's images of the Yangtze and the new megacities replacing the villages on its banks are spectacular, and his cast of characters rival any fiction film I've seen recently.
- 100Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumFilmmaker Yung Chang finds a sad and beautiful way to glimpse the big picture of dislocation through an exquisitely poised small study.
- 88The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenBefore that marvel of human engineering - China's Three Gorges Dam - completes its legacy of human upheaval, there are vanishing sights to be seen.
- 88TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxMay be the best film to date about the humanitarian and environmental impact of China's enormous Three Gorges Dam project.
- 80Village VoiceVillage VoiceBy journey's end, Yung has found, in the Yangtze, a brilliant natural metaphor for upward mobility in modern China: Whether they hail from the lowlands or the urban centers, everyone here is scrambling to reach higher ground.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranOne of the real pluses of Up the Yangtze, aside from its empathy with its subjects, is its striking visual quality. Beijing-based cinematographer Wang Shi Qing has an impeccable eye, often coming up with haunting images that show both the beauty and uncertainty of this pivotal time.
- 75Miami HeraldRene RodriguezMiami HeraldRene RodriguezBy focusing on his two young protagonists, Chang is able to explore the cultural differences between China and the rest of the world, resulting in sequences that are alternately humorous and eye-opening
- 63New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoChina's public image suffers another blow with Up the Yangtze, a documentary by Chinese-Canadian Yung Chang.