On May 11, local time in France, Jia Zhangke's new film "Children of the Rivers and Lakes" premiered in Cannes as the main competition film, which received a standing ovation and praise from the audience. The heroine of "Children of Jianghu" is still Jia Zhangke's wife Zhao Tao, and the leading actor is Liao Fan, the Berlin actor. In addition, the film also has director stars such as Feng Xiaogang, Xu Zheng, Zhang Yibai, Diao Yinan, Zhang Yi, Dong Zijian, Ding Jiali as guest starring lineup .
"Children of the Rivers and Lakes" is Jia Zhangke's fifth film nominated for the Cannes Film Festival. For Jia Zhangke, the key words of this film are ambition and change. Speaking of ambition, it is because he tried to string together his past classic works in the film. We can see the karaoke room in "Xiao Wu", the mobile song and dance troupe in "Platform", and we can also see Zhao Tao re-enacting it himself In "The Good Man in the Three Gorges", the scene of the boat traveling the Three Gorges leaning on the side of the ship, and a three-stage timeline similar to that in "The Old Man of the Mountains and Rivers".
This film presents three pictures of China in 2001, 2006 and 2017, with a sense of ritual and absurdity. In 2001, the gangster brothers in Xiaocheng did not lie in front of Guan Erye, and collectively stared at the Chow Yun-fat Hong Kong film "Heroes" played on the video recorder. Latin dance performances were still a new thing in bars; Ding Jiali, who is carrying a boxed lunch, is praying and thanking God one second, and then stealing other people's wallets. The driver of the motorcycle is hungry because his wife goes out to work, and the cheating man is also in the private room of the hotel. In 2017, Dr. Feng Xiaogang from the hospital asked to scan the code and contact WeChat privately to cure all diseases. The "rule" of serving the main food first and then serving the dishes in the gang has long ceased, and the paralyzed male protagonist can only watch the Internet Young girls in the live chat to relieve boredom.
The popular song elements that Jia Zhangke used in the past are still not lacking this time. Ye Qianwen's "A Light Drunk Life" and Dick Cowboy's "How Much Love Can Come Again" seem to tell the emotional changes of the hero and heroine. Ye Liyi's "Shanghai Beach" is used as a mourning song, and The Village People's dance song "YMCA" makes people feel Thinking of "Go west" used in "The Old Man of the Mountains and Rivers", this worldwide gay hymn was placed here, more as a symbol of freedom.
When it comes to change, it is because Jia Zhangke has really made a plot movie with a full plot. At the same time, he obviously has some commercial considerations. The guest appearances of several star directors such as Xu Zheng and Feng Xiaogang will not only not affect the viewing of the film by international audiences , and also increased the highlights of the domestic release. What's more amazing is that he made a feminist film that is the easiest to become a bonus item at the moment, which not only satisfied Zhao Tao's possibility of winning the award, but also catered to the current world film trend and the majority of women in Cannes this year. Jury.
The literal translation of the English name of "Children of Jianghu" is "Ash is the Whitest", as if to say that the heroine Qiaoqiao who best fits the characteristics of "Children of Jianghu" is the most noble. Zhao Tao plays Qiaoqiao, who ignores conflicts and social chaos when she appears on the stage, and only wants a stable life, but she still gave her freedom because of love. The absurd way solved the problem, and finally completed the redemption with his own power, without changing the original intention of the emotion.
At first, the male protagonist Bin Bin took Qiaoqiao into the "Jianghu" with a gun, but the "Jianghu children" who stayed in the Jianghu in the end were only Qiaoqiao himself. It can be said that Qiaoqiao entrusted Jia Zhangke's romantic imagination. At this level, he even broke through the scope of Chinese society and began to look at the universe and found that everything was the same. The society is developing and the universe is running. The purest and noblest Qiaoqiao is just a prisoner of the universe. Rivers and lakes are like dust and ashes in the universe. In the end, no one may be able to completely escape the fate of looking up at the stars.
The progress of Zhao Tao's performance is very obvious this time. Jia Zhangke also gave Zhao Tao unprecedented role space, and left the most essential lines to Zhao Tao. Qiaoqiao, a woman with a complete, plump and powerful image, has a firm belief and a persistent and resolute spirit, which can be said to be a standard role in the award-winning film festival. It is almost possible to reach a consensus, this is the closest Zhao Tao has been to the Cannes actress.
Liao Fan, who plays Binbin, has less drama than Zhao Tao, but several emotional highlights are full of bright spots, especially the reunion scene, his eyes are full of praise, he can still see his red eyes in the half-length scene. Great changes, Liao Fan's state interpretation is also very accurate, whether he can succeed in Berlin's best actor, depends on whether the judges are willing to give him some attention.
Phoenix.com score: 7 points
With nostalgic and romantic brushstrokes, Jia Zhangke uses "Children of Jianghu" to more deeply depict his favorite and best themes: the loss of time, the unstoppable pace of urban modernization, and violence outside the French Open. It's a loveless love story, like a medley of all of Jia Zhangke's past masterpieces.
—David Ehrlich, "Indiewire"
Jia Zhangke asked us a question in his film: True love may be eternal, but can eternal true love really survive the passing of time and the suffocating rapid changes in Chinese society? When skyscrapers and highways wrap you tightly, your emotions, desires and dreams are slowly disappearing and being forgotten. Jia Zhangke makes us feel the taste of aging and the helplessness of aging.
—Emily Yoshida, "Vulture"
Jia Zhangke's new work is a gorgeous and delicate drama. It uses a woman who had no self at all to gain courage step by step to a journey of revenge against lawbreakers, reflecting the changes in Chinese society.
—Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
An epic love story that reflects the dramatic changes in Chinese society in the 21st century. However, it lacks the sharp rage and intensity of Jia Zhangke's previous works.
——ALLAN HUNTER "International Screen"
Although Zhao Tao's performance is flawless as always, "Children of Jianghu" will inevitably make many people familiar with Jia Zhangke's works feel too familiar. From the theme to the plot, it is very similar to his old work. However, this work is a large-scale epic that Jia Zhangke has never tried before, and to be fair, despite its lack of novelty, it is still another work full of Jia Zhangke's style.
—Ben Croll, "The Wrap"
Text / Qin Wan
Read the original text: Catching the Shadows at Cannes ③: "The Children of the Jianghu" Zhao Tao is the closest to the Cannes actress
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