man i was really excited for this one. chinese language ensemble film with all shots from a distance? Yi Yi?! i walked into this with the 5 star score basically pre-pressed - it had all the ingridients.

but i don't know. nothing about the writing, characters, or cinematography felt interesting to me. what's left is nostalgia, historical context, Teresa Teng references, and shots of changing tech. i've only watched two Jia Zhangke films but that feels like a running theme. 'china changed quickly, now here's a shot of a TV'.

maybe i'm just jaded because my dad's fuckin 东北家乡 looks / feels like this film today - it doesn't really feel like an introspective 'moment in time', it just feels like he set up a camera and hit play in some sub tier 3 northern chinese clan village. i think i was expecting a bit more!

man i was really excited for this one. chinese language ensemble film with all shots from a distance? Yi Yi?! i walked into this with the 5 star score basically pre-pressed - it had all the ingridients.

but i don't know. nothing about the writing, characters, or cinematography felt interesting to me. what's left is nostalgia, historical context, Teresa Teng references, and shots of changing tech. i've only watched two Jia Zhangke films but that feels like a running theme. 'china changed quickly, now here's a shot of a TV'.

maybe i'm just jaded because my dad's fuckin 东北家乡 looks / feels like this film today - it doesn't really feel like an introspective 'moment in time', it just feels like he set up a camera and hit play in some sub tier 3 northern chinese clan village. i think i was expecting a bit more!

A great portrait of a country which is today unrecognizable

A great portrait of a country which is today unrecognizable

Platform is a slowly moving amazing piece of work, change, modernization, culture, a truly generational film, so many slow going shots that force a moment of contemplation each moment masterfully executed.

Jia Zhangke created a awesome piece of slow cinema.

Platform is a slowly moving amazing piece of work, change, modernization, culture, a truly generational film, so many slow going shots that force a moment of contemplation each moment masterfully executed.

Jia Zhangke created a awesome piece of slow cinema.

political remodeling through an artistic lens. platforms; one for the stage of debates, the other for theatre. an upside down mao zedong to metaphorize changing times in the face of entirely overturning political policies, decommunizing a nation with increased privatization, economic and sociocultural liberalization, and holistic reformation. as for our filmmaking victories? an amazing sight of composition and spreading national alterations in the span of three decades through the lives of just four unassuming artists in a couple of months.

political remodeling through an artistic lens. platforms; one for the stage of debates, the other for theatre. an upside down mao zedong to metaphorize changing times in the face of entirely overturning political policies, decommunizing a nation with increased privatization, economic and sociocultural liberalization, and holistic reformation. as for our filmmaking victories? an amazing sight of composition and spreading national alterations in the span of three decades through the lives of just four unassuming artists in a couple of months.

Not a hard watch, but a heavy one that will certainly require future rewatches. I love basically every angle Jia chooses to shoot from, and there’s a couple of dance scenes for the ages here. And also:

Jia shooting cigarette smoke > Wong shooting cigarette smoke

Not a hard watch, but a heavy one that will certainly require future rewatches. I love basically every angle Jia chooses to shoot from, and there’s a couple of dance scenes for the ages here. And also:

Jia shooting cigarette smoke > Wong shooting cigarette smoke