Resurrection

Resurrection is a film made by and for cinephiles. i think this means for many people, this movie is just not going to work. the plot is so out there, it’s barely within arms reach. many will likely be frustrated with the lack of explanation, or fail to see this film as an experiment in cinematic language. i am mainly referring to the general audience, of course. people smarter and more well-read and well-watched than me on film will either love this for its visual creativity and stylistic flexes, or find it a bore, a film too passionate about the medium for it’s own good. i see quite a few folks on this app who also have a distaste for anthologies, and i think many didn’t realize that this film was one from the marketing. all of this to say that this film is likely going to remain under-seen for quite some time. i would be shocked if this got an Academy nomination for best international film even. it is my favorite film of the year, but i wonder if this film will be remembered the same as the rest of the excellent films that came out in 2025. last year i finally got to take a film history class. it was technically a history on “the moving image” as a whole, but besides the last few weeks, it was essentially a film class. my professor often liked to compare watching film to that of dreaming. that when we watch films, we slip into dreams, and thats how we remember them too. if it weren’t for that class and his perspective, i think some aspects of this film would be totally lost on me. the first segment of this film, focusing on “sight”, is such a magnificent recreation of silent film-era sets, filming techniques, and cinematography. this segment is equal parts French, German, and Chinese. you don’t need to be taught silent film to understand that this is an extremely obvious homage to the era, but it is so lovingly recreated, and i am so happy that i can appreciate the craft, and the more direct homages. as for the rest of the segments, i’m not well-watched enough to cite any specific styles that the rest explore. this is my best attempt. “sound” reminded me of noir thrillers, which coincides with the introduction of sound into film. i also caught a visual homage to Tarkovsky’s Mirror in this segment. “taste” reminded me of Kwaidan, and i’ve seen many others compare this segment to Kobayashi. this segment also features a couple split diopters, which made me think of the rise of its use around the 60s and 70s. “smell” alludes me a bit, despite being one of my favorite segments of the film. i can only place my guess that it’s influenced by Chinese/HK gangster films, based on the era it takes place in (around the 80s), and swindling a gangster being its plot. “touch” i’d say the same, feels very much more like a highly stylized 90s gangster drama from Hong Kong, with a supernatural touch. the dramatic coloring, a time-lapse scene, and the romance that centers the segment all feel extremely Wong Kar-wai. this segment is also the stand-out one-take sequence in the film, which Bi Gan has been constantly applauded for. is it slightly self-referential? other directors that i see Gan constantly compared to are Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, but i cannot put any input on that. while i was able to catch on to many film homages, there is just so much about this film that is beyond my limited knowledge. this is not just a journey through 20th century cinema, but a journey through Chinese history of the 20th century. every segment seems to take place during a significant shift or moment in Chinese history, which i am not familiar with, so i was only able to make inferences on this film regarding film itself. earlier i mentioned how unpopular this would be with the general audience, but i was shocked at how much more general and “entertaining” this film was than his previous films. Kaili Blues and Long Day’s Journey Into Night are probably nightmarish movies for people with short attention spans, but i think even some of the most impatient people could find themselves entertained by the “smell” and “touch” segments of the film, which i was easily the most immersed in and was sad had to end so soon. it makes me wonder if Bi Gan is going to change his style in the future, since i felt like Long Day’s Journey was a sort of double take on the ideas and personal history that influenced Kaili Blues. is Gan going to tap into these other cinematic styles fully? i guess we’ll have to see, but i will be seated as soon as his next film releases. the final moments of the film nearly moved me to tears. so touching, such a powerful image. if dreams are the fire that burns the candle of humanity, then the audience is the fire to the candle that is cinema, to art. a candle never burns if it’s never lit, but why should it exist if not to burn? i believe the title refers to cinema itself. each segment in the film explores a time when the medium “resurrected” itself. movies used to be a roadside attraction, seen as a fad that would die out. and now we are. it survived the invention of sound, the invention of televisions, the invention of the internet, and it’s still here. i feel so lucky to live during the time where this movie exists. my candle is burning, and i’m okay with that.