贾樟柯's (Jia Zhangke) "The World"

[wushijiao]

Jia Zhangke is known for making complex, gritty, underground, uncompromising, authentic, richly symbolic, low-budget, dialect-filled, films, such as Xiao Wu (小武), Platform (站台) and Unknown Pleasures (任逍遥). His new film The World (世界) is no exception. This time, however, his movie will be shown in China legally for the first time, thus giving him credibility, media coverage and higher expectations.

Has anyone seen it? If so, what do you think?

Personally, I thought many elements of this movie worked well. Jia likes to contrast the macro-shared reality with the micro-mundane details of individual lives. In this movie, the characters live in a cheesy “World” theme park, a place with a fake Eiffel Tower, a fake Vatican, a fake Big Ben and other famous monuments. This fake micro-world serves as a symbolic backdrop for the poor people who live their very real lives there and will never have the financial resources to go abroad. This aspect worked well, I thought. Likewise, the interesting relationships between many of the characters were complex and nuanced.

Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feel that the movie and a few flaws. First, the plot seemed a bit unfocused and lacked energy. Second, there is some FLASH animation that seemed a bit distracting. Finally, a lot of the social criticism seemed a bit over the top.

Still, the movie is probably worth 8 kuai if you’re in China, especially if you are sick of senseless blockbusters.

[laolee]

I just saw this last night at Filmfest DC (Washington DC). Though I quite enjoyed it (I also saw Platform there a couple years ago), I agree that the animation seemed superfluous and your assessment that it lacked focus and energy. Partially, I think it's his style. I've read that it's not doing too well at the box office. Not surprising, I guess, since it's not what would call commercial fare.

I have a question, I'm wondering if the version I saw didn't excise the musical numbers. From articles and reviews I've read online, there's mention and photos of Zhao Tao dancing but I didn't see any. In the version I saw there was no Japanese scene except outside when the girls went on break. Also, was there a scene linked to the Spring Gala taping where she was assigned the African role? I ask this because some reviews list the running time as 140 minutes and others say 133 minutes.

[gato]

Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feel that the movie and a few flaws. First, the plot seemed a bit unfocused and lacked energy.

That's been characteristic of his other films, "Platform" and "Unknown Pleasures," as well. He's a kind of "naturalist." He likes to show scenes as if happening in real times, which means very light editing, lots of silence on the screen, long tracking shots, and so forth.

Finally, a lot of the social criticism seemed a bit over the top.

Maybe he's a real Marxist?

[roddy]

He’s not a guy who’s going to break into the Hong Kong comedy market anytime soon, that’s for sure. I find his films to be very well made, but his use of long, empty shots to convey the idea of long, empty lives gets dull pretty quickly, and the ending of Shijie just left me thinking ‘what was the point of the film’, rather than ‘what is the point of life’, which I think might have been the intention.

Credit where it’s due though – I found the characters believable and interesting, and it’s nice to see some big-noses turning up in a film as something other than comedy value / cartoon villains.

Actually, thinking about it I think that’s what annoyed me about this film – he draws a set of credible, interesting people – and then does nothing with them. I want a story!

[wushijiao]

I have a question, I'm wondering if the version I saw didn't excise the musical numbers. From articles and reviews I've read online, there's mention and photos of Zhao Tao dancing but I didn't see any. In the version I saw there was no Japanese scene except outside when the girls went on break. Also, was there a scene linked to the Spring Gala taping where she was assigned the African role? I ask this because some reviews list the running time as 140 minutes and others say 133 minutes.

I must have seen the same version as well.

Actually, thinking about it I think that’s what annoyed me about this film – he draws a set of credible, interesting people – and then does nothing with them. I want a story!

I agree. Pedro Almadovar is a director that combines subtle social analysis and symbolism with the exciting plot of a pulp novel. Almadovar, like other directors who also pull it off, sometimes uses sex, desire, love triangles and the like as the vehicle to keep the audience's attention towards some of the other social analysis. Jia also could do this. But the problem is, he chooses to explore the fairly awkward and unsure relationships between people, especially between men and women. For example, in Unknown Pleasures, I laughed my @ss off when the couple rents the private room to watch VCDs, and a spectator would assume that they are going to get it on. Instead, they sit there in awkward silence, each not knowing exactly what to do or say. I think Jia has a great eye for capturing some Chinese atmospheres and behaviors that can't really be expressed in prose or through other media. So, his subject matter is predisposed to limited commercial success, I think.

[skylee]

The Hong Kong Arts Centre is going to show Jia's four films in "A Brave New World of Jia Zhangke" (站在世界背後─賈樟柯), as part of the Le French May Programme -> http://acfhk.ppma.com.hk/cinema_jia.html

He is featured in the festival because of his "affiliation with the French cinema and his being granted twice the French Fonds Sud Cinéma". He was awarded Chevalier de l'Order des Arts et des Lettres last year.

[laolee]

Does anyone know what was trimmed from the festival version compared to the regular theatrical version? I've read that about 20, maybe 40, minutes have been pared off. (The festival version is about 140 minutes.)