Resurrection

i don't think i've ever been this hyped for a film in my life. Bi Gan is on another level. and Shu Qi is an actual goddess. i usually don't like going into a film with high expectations but in this case the film lived up to it so i'm really happy. the plot can be hard to grasp but that's the way i like it. just like Bi Gan's last film, this one also has a dreamy vibe (which is obvious considering the plot). i love how ambitious he is in terms of not just the visuals but also storytelling. very few directors would ever even think of attempting half of what he accomplishes in this film. the first section of the film takes clear inspiration from german expressionism. from the crazy set design to the silent aesthetic. which makes a lot of sense because Bi Gan definitely subscribes to the "formalism" school of film theory (and so do i). the sheer technical brilliance of this film alone is worthy of the highest praise. it takes a lot of influence from film history, constantly evolving- from a political thriller with a Bruce Lee Enter the Dragon homage, to a spiritual parable, to a post-war crime drama, to a supernatural romance. and with a future dystopian science-fiction setting holding it all together. just brilliant. the plot is thematically dense. it explores an old metaphysical concept that has been discussed a lot through all kinds of artforms, as well as philosophy and religion. how chaos brings suffering but it is a necessary part of life. it's duality. yin and yang. even if you could theoretically escape the physical world and live in a state of eternal bliss (evangelion human instrumentality project type shit), it would defeat the purpose of life. because you can't have life without death. light without dark. pleasure without pain. happiness without suffering. but in this film, the concept of life is represented by dreaming (and also filmmaking). the film takes this concept and explores it in a way that is simultaneously an exploration of the medium of film. it is a celebration of film as an artform. Bi Gan's love of cinema is so contagious. it's hard to watch this film without getting swept up by the sheer magic of filmmaking. there are so many images here that moved me to tears. this film perfectly captures the feeling of not wanting to wake up from a dream. so beautiful.