Few people (to my limited knowledge, anyways) have tackled the Chinese Cultural Revolution with as much tact and wit, candor and honesty, as Jia Zhangke. This two hour documentary features a variety of interviews spliced together with clips from other films, footage from around the city of Shanghai from several different time periods, as well as a plethora of other appropriate details he sees fit to include. Zhangke's humor is as important to the film as his unrelenting approach to revealing the myriad of definitions the 'Shanghainese' have for freedom.
The interviews range from directors like Hou Hsiao Hsien and actresses like Han Han to political figures, gangsters, and ordinary citizens. Jia Zhangke exhibits his talent for finding the beauty in the mundane, the ordinary little moments in their lives which his interviewees so profoundly vocalize. Though the screening went well, I can't help but mention a little bit about the bizarre happenstance which occurred in the seat next to me. A young, caucasian male with bright blonde hair and a slight build sat down, and as soon as Jia Zhangke approached the microphone, he began to practice martial arts moves in his seat. At first his movements were slow and contained, so I thought it would be something I could ignore, but as soon as the film started he began moaning as his gestures became more outlandish. When I finally asked him to stop, he got up, bowed deeply and left the theater. I had no idea what just happened, but even this distracting event could not prevent me from enjoying all of Zhangke's masterful documentary.
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