42/48
A Chinese woman lives a quiet life, celebrating the flourishing Belle Epoque with song and dance. The female lead does not speak a single line of dialogue throughout the film. I love that Jia Zhangke’s Chinese cinema work is so interesting and so different from other Chinese filmmakers. In many ways, using strange digital camera approaches, approaches to themes, music, characters, and setting. This film feels like a documentary and fiction version of his career, and it’s a fascinating experience. Using archival footage and combining both non-linear fiction and non-fiction, Zhangke offers a melancholic and avant-garde narrative and atmosphere. filled with wonderful presentations and explored themes. Presenting characters, performances, music and dialogue that feel realistic and almost as if you are observing the daily life of an individual and human nature, Zhao Tao continues to shine with her natural performance and language in every scene she is shown in. The choice of soundtracks is interesting, and the entire fictional script, while it will put off many viewers, I found it interesting and a great storytelling experiment. I wouldn’t recommend this as Jia Zhangke’s first film though, but I will say that it is amazing.