Special Pardon 1959 (2019)

Inspirational storyline, and a masterclass in historical story telling.

Welcome to 1959, communist China through the eyes of some of the most brilliant war criminals of their time.

Background: Whenever a new government is established, it is not uncommon for them to execute a significant portion of war criminals, those who stood on the other side of the civil war. Well well well, when the People's Republic of China was established, it proceeded to educate the war criminals and then send them back into society. They held high posts and continued contributing to the country they had always belonged to. That is the entire premise of the story.

Storytelling & Character: This story really knows how to build character. It successfully portrays a large variety of individuals all with their own values, thoughts, and interests. Teshe 1959 uses fundamental human kindness as a medium to demonstrate how people's beliefs can change on a fundamental level. Truly an inspiration of our time. Obviously, it has been a while since this drama came out so some of its lines can be a bit cheesy and exaggerated, but at the same time, convincing.

Acting: First class. No one ever goes out of character. I've watched other dramas where these actors have acted, and it's difficult to tell they're the same people!

Music: This one's hard to say. The story trumps all, I couldn't remember if there were any music at all haha. But if there was, it matched well and was not out of place.

Rewatch value: I've rewatched some classic scenes several times. Especially the part around the Korean war. The transitions were hilarious and it has given new light on how to understand the mentality surrounding the war at the time.

Overall: 100% would recommend.

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