Thanks to everyone who waited patiently for my next blog. It’s been a very busy time for me with work and studies, but I promised myself I’d add an update before the end of October.  

I’d like to share my thoughts on a Chinese film I saw at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival, entitled: “24 City” (二十四城记/二十四城記; literally: The Diary/Record of the 24 City). In addition, I’ll share some related cultural info and personal stories. Since I looked up all of the English reviews of this movie, I feel my job is to add a unique perspective to this film and the many statements you’ve been hearing about “China’s growth, China’s modernization, China’s expansion as a world power, etc.”

“Fiction is a way of telling the truth.” You’ve probably seen this quote under my name on the image above. Why did I choose to use this quote as a slogan or label for my website? I am interested in the following questions: What is fiction? What is truth? If they are opposites, then why would anyone ever care about fiction? If they are the same, then how can we consider truth to be true when it is also fiction? As a writer of fiction and a storyteller, I am very interested in the power of fiction. As a political activist and believer in global human rights, I am very interested the awareness and communication of truth. BUT WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE MOVIE: 24 CITY???? 24 City is a documentary. 24 City is a fictional narrative. 24 City is neither of these genres or it is both at the same time… What?

This film talks about the development of factory 420 in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China from the 1950’s to the present day, where it is now being torn down to build a new apartment complex. If “Sichuan” sounds familiar, that’s because you probably heard about the earthquake there on May 12^th of this year. The earthquake’s epicenter was 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Chengdu, yet was felt from as far away as Beijing (1,500 kilometres (932 miles) away) and Shanghai (1,700 kilometres (1,056 mi) away), where office buildings reportedly swayed with the tremor. The earthquake was also felt in nearby countries, including parts of Vietnam, Thailand, India, and Northern Pakistan. (I was in Seoul, South Korea at the time but didn’t feel it there. However, news of the earthquake reached Seoul quickly and was on the front page of the newspaper.) The quake caused 69,181 known deaths including 68,636 in Sichuan province; 18,498 people are listed as missing, and 374,171 were injured. Strong aftershocks continued to affect Sichuan even as late as August 5^th.

There was another earthquake, not an aftershock, which struck Panzhihua in Southern Sichuan on August 30^th, 2008. It was not as heavily reported perhaps because it seemed small by comparison to the previous earthquake (though it still caused 41 deaths, 589 injuries, and a reported collapse of 10,000 homes along with damage to 190,000 more. Considerable damages to highways, bridges, and reservoirs were also reported.) The cities within Sichuan province have been largely neglected and untouched by China’s economic rise in comparison to the port cities like Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong, which are more frequented by foreign business and investors. Thus, health care is poor in inland areas, with the gap between prosperous urban dwellers and struggling rural people continuing to widen.

We tend to get caught up in all the excitement or fear for China’s future; we tend to find escape in being critical or respectful of China’s long and complex history. What we need to do is focus on an awareness of China now, as it is in the present. Otherwise we risk witnessing beautiful traditions die, or reaching for something too high on a ladder destined to break. Like humans, every country has needs. When a teenager (a teenager over 5,000 years old in this metaphor) begins to grow, he needs more sleep (approx. 9.5 hours per night) and more food to develop in a healthy manner.

China is growing right now, but the problem is it doesn’t seem to be able to sleep nor able to have enough food to eat. 

 

You can see and hear about the hardship of life in Chengdu in this film. 30,000 workers had come to know this Factory not only as their place of work, but as their home and way of life. There are real stories here told by real people. In total, there are nine major interviews in the film. Four of those interviews, however, are done with actors playing characters created specifically for this film. Critics responded to this differently. I felt some actors gave moving and convincing performances, such as Lu Liping, while others like the easily recognizable Joan Chen exist in the film for star power and to add some humor. Another is actress Zhao Tao, whom Director Jia Zhangke frequently casts in his films. She has a very interesting face which can easily express sadness or longing. One critic suggested that by having two professional actresses play characters in the film, the director is admitting to an inability to access true female Chinese viewpoints. So instead, Jia Zhangke had to guess or predict their answers, their stories. I think this critic neglects the obvious point that: Documentaries don’t tend to draw the same size crowds as films with beautiful famous actresses. I also don’t think women’s viewpoints are somehow “forbidden” within China. Trust me; there are strong Chinese women who will say exactly what they feel. Jia Zhangke is no stranger to International Film Festivals, so I think he knew exactly what he was doing in the casting of this docudrama. In an interview, he stated the reason why he chose to mix real people with actors was because: “As far as I’m concerned, history is always a blend of facts and imagination.”

This film intrigued me despite the fact that I guessed it might be slow and boring. (I discovered it was so slow, but perhaps “contemplative” is a better word than boring). A friend of mine and I traveled to Shenzhen, China to film some factories for a company in Hong Kong, which has its products made in those factories. I was curious to see how a native Chinese director would approach this subject in comparison with my own western perspective.

Shot on HD video by Hong Kong cinematographer Yu Lik-Wai and Wang Yu, 24 City looks both gritty and clean, though occasionally the video has a television feel, taking away from the magic of the big screen. In visiting more than four different factories, I learned that the extreme consumption of products by Western countries actually has a positive impact on China, by providing many jobs and income. The disadvantages are: these jobs are indeed 24 hour jobs; they’re usually demanding, dangerous, or unhealthy physical labor; workers must live away from their families inside these factories; etc. One reason why products made in China have earned some reputation of not being well-made, is because the products they’re making are things the workers would never use, could never afford, or don’t even understand the purpose of. Try explaining to an immigrant friend what a “Garden Ornament” is used for, and you’ll experience the same frustration and confusion. Seriously, what are those things for?

Now, imagine a world where Western countries have reduced their consumption habits, and these 24 hour jobs are suddenly devoted towards something meaningful, like building water purification systems, medical technology, solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and other products to clean up our environment. Wouldn’t you want to live in that world?? I say, why can’t that be our world? 

The Good, the Bad, the Weird - 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
South Korea. 2008.

This film has apparently created a new genre: the “Oriental Western”, more specifically the “Kimchi Western”.

(Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made by fermenting seasoned cabbage and other veggies, commonly served as a side dish or with rice. Originally it referred to only salted vegetables, but after the 12th century other spices were added. In the 17th century, chili peppers were introduced to Korea, thereby becoming an essential part of Kimchi’s distinct flavor. I must confess that I myself have never tried Kimchi (to my knowledge), despite traveling to South Korea twice. But as a tourist you must know 2 things: Kimchi is spicy, and it can be difficult to find Korean dishes made without it.) So Kimchi is not only a part of Korean cuisine, but also part of Korean cultural identity. Hence, we have the comparison to Spaghetti Western (Italy).

Now back to the film. As the title could suggest, it’s good, it’s bad, and it’s weird. It’s essentially an action-comedy. It’s pure entertainment, nothing more. I think it’s important to state this, considering it premiered at Cannes Film Festival and some people may interpret it as an “art piece.” Before I offend anyone, I want to say that this is a very well-made film. It’s also extremely entertaining. This is a thrill ride with many laughs along the way. Judging by what I’ve seen of actors’ interviews and behind-the-scenes, that was the filmmakers’ intent. They worked hard and had fun in the process.

The plot: Manchuria….1930’s…the wild wild….um…East. Three villains, whom we are introduced to as “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.” This is reference to the 1966 classic Western ”The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (Buono, il brutto, il cattivo) by famed Italian Director: Sergio Leone. They are all after the same thing: a map (and money?). Therefore, no matter how fast or how far they run, we know their paths must cross. (It’s not a very complicated plot, but is that REALLY why you decided to see this movie? Oh, but there is a nice twist in the end!) Much of the excitement of the film therefore comes from the lengthy middle section: essentially the running away part.

So, I’ll divide the rest of my review into 3 parts:

The Good: This movie has many good qualities. Music by Chan Young-gyu is modern and stylish, giving some heart-pouding rhythms to the action. Cinematography by Oh Seung-chul is fluid and moves almost as much as the actors, putting you right in the middle of gunfights and chases. Nam Na-yeong must have spent hours and hours editing this film to make it flow so well. I have much respect for filmmakers working in such extreme conditions (dessert heat, sand, wind, etc.). When you consider that most big budget movies capture about 1 minute of actual footage that ends up in the final movie per day, it becomes more impressive to consider how many minutes of this film involved explosions, stunts, visual fx, etc. (things that require additional time to prepare and execute). Visually the film is colorful (yes, even with dessert backgrounds) and creative with camerawork. The stunts are also quite good. If you’re an action movie fan, this is certainly a must-see.

The Bad: It’s violent. Very violent. Though I tend to prefer films with less violence, I try not to let it interfer with my moviegoing experience. However, this film is a bit excessive and brutal at times. Judging by the reactions of other moviegoers in the packed theater where I saw the film, I wasn’t alone in this feeling. Renting the video and watching it a smaller screen might downplay this and make it more comfortable to watch. Also, sound effects were a bit too loud at times I felt. You hear A LOT of gun shots in this film. Other than that, I think the film succeeds as entertainment.

The Weird: The film isn’t particularly weird. But I wanted to draw your attention to the three main actors. The “Good” Jung Woo-sung is apparently quite popular with girls in Korea now. I personally thought the “Bad” Lee Byung-hun was more handsome, but I learned that he is a bit short in real life. So if you decide to become an actor in Korea, make sure you are tall. Otherwise all of your hard work to look handsome could be futile and you don’t want to experience that kind of disappointment. I will say that watching Lee Byung-hun was much more interesting than watching Jung Woo-sung, since the Bad character is much more developed and expressive. Lastly, the “Weird” is played by Song Kang-ho, who you might recognize from “The Host” (Gwoemul), the very successful Summer 2006 Korean Monster movie. Song Kang-ho really carries this film on his shoulders. Without him, it wouldn’t have been so much fun to watch. He basically handles all of the comedy and often keeps the plot moving as well! I believe he’s a very talented actor and would like to see more of his work. So it’s not a weird film per se, but it has some unique qualities.