People in general are not holding enough space for Chinese films with no editing, an essential activity for thinking young men. One can take a break from the conveyor of distracting nonsense that constitutes our entertainment and find something surprising and spiritually edifying. Ok, slight sarcasm, but not really.
Alas, yes, this might be for not even the average cineaste but a subset of cineastes with a specialised interest in arty Asian film. This ain’t no Hero - this is a slice of strange life, set in a Beijing park consisting of models of various landmarks, permitting locals to see the world without going abroad. Alas, everyone that works at this park wants to get out. Out of the mud of their life situation. Go and see France, where one’s ex may or may not be.
This is what this film is about: bread and butter people with their bread and butter problems, albeit set in this vaguely surreal environment.
The individual storylines are touching but it requires you to break through a few walls to access that which touches: the language and cultural barrier, and Jia’s style which is extracted of frivolous adornments like cuts and close-ups, twists and actions. I reckon for most people there will have to be some taste-acquiring.
The structure of this is masterly - it has little intimate scenes between two or three people, with the most heartbreaking conversation you’ve ever heard in a long unbroken take, and the lovely early 00s electronic music only comes in within sweeping transition sequences, often animated, of traveling by various modes of transport or wide shots of the fake Eiffel Tower and other famous structures. Cringely, I clapped at the opening credit sequence, but in my defence I was at the peak of my caffeine high that morning.
Recommended
People in general are not holding enough space for Chinese films with no editing, an essential activity for thinking young men. One can take a break from the conveyor of distracting nonsense that constitutes our entertainment and find something surprising and spiritually edifying. Ok, slight sarcasm, but not really.
Alas, yes, this might be for not even the average cineaste but a subset of cineastes with a specialised interest in arty Asian film. This ain’t no Hero - this is a slice of strange life, set in a Beijing park consisting of models of various landmarks, permitting locals to see the world without going abroad. Alas, everyone that works at this park wants to get out. Out of the mud of their life situation. Go and see France, where one’s ex may or may not be.
This is what this film is about: bread and butter people with their bread and butter problems, albeit set in this vaguely surreal environment.
The individual storylines are touching but it requires you to break through a few walls to access that which touches: the language and cultural barrier, and Jia’s style which is extracted of frivolous adornments like cuts and close-ups, twists and actions. I reckon for most people there will have to be some taste-acquiring.
The structure of this is masterly - it has little intimate scenes between two or three people, with the most heartbreaking conversation you’ve ever heard in a long unbroken take, and the lovely early 00s electronic music only comes in within sweeping transition sequences, often animated, of traveling by various modes of transport or wide shots of the fake Eiffel Tower and other famous structures. Cringely, I clapped at the opening credit sequence, but in my defence I was at the peak of my caffeine high that morning.
Recommended
