Sparseness: "Take what most reviewers consider to be the chief formal(and ethnic)interest of Yellow Earth its Taoist aesthetics of non-presence"(Chow,90). Extreme long shots with little depth.Sky and horizon are proportioned to an extreme.Lots of "empty space"within the frame. "Listening stops with the ears,the mind stops with recognition,but spirit is empty and waits on all things.The Way gathers in emptiness alone.Emptiness is the fasting of the mind" (Chuang Tzu,58). "the ethnic value of Yellow Earth would have to be argued along lines like these:Taoist aesthetics,that which is the most"Chinese"aspect of the film,is part of a post-Cultural Revolution critique of the communist revolution;if communism is "politics,"then Taoist signifies the apolitical aestheticism of China's younger generation seeking refuge in pure form.(To this extent,one can understand why the film raised suspicions among mainland Chinese censors when it was first released)"(Chow,88). "one can already argue that the "sparseness"of Yellow Earth's Taoist"aesthetics"is politically inscribed:this is the sparseness of material well-being,a sparseness that has been tirelessly tapped for the purpose of revolution"(Chow,91). "On film,features of Taoist principles that create the effect of a nonanthropocentric "emptiness" come to the fore so visibly and largely(in a way that is not matched by classical Chinese painting)can do so because of a repetition-through the camera"(Chow,101).Sparseness: “Take what most reviewers consider to be the chief formal (and ethnic) interest of Yellow Earth its Taoist aesthetics of non-presence” (Chow, 90). Extreme long shots with little depth. Sky and horizon are proportioned to an extreme. Lots of “empty space” within the frame. “Listening stops with the ears, the mind stops with recognition, but spirit is empty and waits on all things. The Way gathers in emptiness alone. Emptiness is the fasting of the mind” (Chuang Tzu, 58). “the ethnic value of Yellow Earth would have to be argued along lines like these: Taoist aesthetics, that which is the most “Chinese” aspect of the film, is part of a post-Cultural Revolution critique of the communist revolution; if communism is “politics,” then Taoist signifies the apolitical aestheticism of China’s younger generation seeking refuge in pure form. (To this extent, one can understand why the film raised suspicions among mainland Chinese censors when it was first released)” (Chow, 88). “one can already argue that the “sparseness” of Yellow Earth’s Taoist “aesthetics” is politically inscribed: this is the sparseness of material well-being, a sparseness that has been tirelessly tapped for the purpose of revolution” (Chow, 91). “On film, features of Taoist principles that create the effect of a nonanthropocentric “emptiness” come to the fore so visibly and largely (in a way that is not matched by classical Chinese painting) can do so because of a repetition – through the camera” (Chow, 101)