SCREENING LOG - 2/18--2/24, 2002

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I am out this week due to a death in the family, so I am afraid I won't be able to do most of these films the justice of discussing and promoting them with you, my esteemed peers. But for what it's worth, I saw some amazing Chinese films at a special retrospective on Hong Kong cinema at Columbia University. Any assumptions people had that Chinese cinema starts with Zhang Yimou (or Bruce Lee) were blown out of the water. In the highly unlikely event that you encounter any of these films, by all means see them.

I watched Monster's Ball, The Map of Sex and Love, Homecoming, Les Vampires (episodes 5-6), What Time Is It There?, Made in Hong Kong, Raining in the Mountain, and The Arch. In order of preference:

Raining in the Mountain (1979, King Hu)

Last week I called King Hu's A TOUCH OF ZEN the artistic pinnacle of the martial arts movie; however, it may not have been the artistic pinnacle of King Hu. This masterpiece distills Hu's artistry (the relentless exploration of screen space and editing time) to perhaps its most elemental. The plot involves rivaling parties of bandits seeking to steal an ancient scripture from a sacred, well-guarded temple. The dizzying opening moments, in which a pair of thieves explore a maze-like series of chambers, bears striking resemblances to THE SHINING (just as A TOUCH OF ZEN is like a kung-fu 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY); cinematic space folds and unfolds upon itself. The plot similarly folds and unfolds as the rivaling parties subversively scheme for control of the temple and the sacred scripture. Sadly, there are only two prints of this film left in the world. If a video copy were made available I think the case for this film and Hu's artistic supremacy would be strongly made. As far as I am concerned, King Hu is the single most talented director in the history of Chinese cinema.

Les Vampires (Episodes 5-6) (1915, Louis Feuillade) - second viewing

Episodes 5 and 6 are where the plot thickens in this dazzling, immortal serial that opened a trapdoor to the world of surrealist art. The plot has struck out into a three-way battle between the forces of normalcy (led by an ambitious but awkward young journalist), and two rivialling forces of evil (The Vampire Gang and Moreno, an endlessly resourceful gangster capable of hypnotizing women and faking his own death). Throw in a pair of novice burglars, and you've got a full party. Multiple disguises, double-crossings and raw stuntwork add layers of mystery and delight to the proceedings.

The Arch (1969, Tong Shu Shuen)

Tong Shu Shuen was the first major female director in Chinese history and a spectacular artist in her own right, bringing a sharp feminine sensibility to the macho martial arts movies that prevailed in her day. This wonderful film chronicles a widower about to be honored by her village with an arch of chastity to commemorate her lifelong chastity. Wouldn't you know it, a military officer comes to sweep her (and her daughter) off her feet, disrupting her socially-assigned role as torchbearer of matriarchal purity. At its best this film equals the work of Kenji Mizoguchi and Satyajit Ray as a sensitive but scorching examination of one culture's ideals and how a remarkable woman sacrifices her destiny for their sake. The passages where the officer tries as tactfully as he can to express his longing are visually and emotionally breathtaking, adding to the poignancy of the tragedy's end. Selected as one of China's greatest films in a one-of-a-kind poll by Asia Weekly.

What Time Is It There? (2001, Tsai Ming-liang) - second viewing

One of my favorite films last year will hopefully be acclaimed as one of the best of this year as it works its way through the nation's art houses. The story charts the progression and bizarre expessions of the grief of a widowed mother, the loneliness of her son, and the alienation of a young Taiwanese woman travelling in Paris whose only connection with the others is that she bought a watch from the son. Tsai Ming-liang's distinctive deadpan style, using virtually no dialogue, brings to mind the great comedians of the silent era while making as urgent a commentary on urban contemporary life as any director around. Along with VIVE L'AMOUR and THE RIVER, this work confirms Tsai as one of the key filmmakers of our time.

Homecoming (1983, Yim Ho)

One of the first joint-ventures between Hong Kong and China before their eventual reunification, this bittersweet and impeccably produced film shows follows an unsuccessful HK businesswoman returning to her hometown in southern China. It paints a surprisingly warmhearted and nostalgic picture of Communist village life while scrutinizing the differences between HK and mainland cultures. Judging by this film and his later masterpiece,THE DAY THE SUN TURNED COLD, it is a wonder that Yim Ho didn't achieve the star status of his mainland counterparts Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. HOMECOMING was selected as one of China's greatest films in a one-of-a-kind poll by Asia Weekly.

Made in Hong Kong (1997, Fruit Chan)

A big fat middle finger stuck in China's face on the eve of Hong Kong's reunification, this work of anarchy and urban terror put punk director Fruit Chan (LITTLE CHEUNG, DURIAN DURIAN) on the map. A young street hustler wanders his way through the housing projects of Hong Kong keeping one eye on his helpless retarded friend and the other on a young girl with a fatal ailment -- needless to say, his eye is not on his future, but there is none to be seen anyway. Made on a shoestring budget with damaged film-stock, MADE IN HONG KONG has an uncommon rawness to it, an energy fueled by rage at a hopeless existence that can no longer even claim its own national identity. Though its vitality is eventually drowned in a deluge of pathos, its go-for-broke aesthetics makes recent gangster movies from America and Britain seem irrelevant. Selected as one of China's greatest films in a one-of-a-kind poll by Asia Weekly.

The Map of Sex and Love (2001, Evans Chan)

I have generally mixed feelings about this essayistic meditation on the lives of three Hong Kong youth in the post-takeover era, but I have unconditional admiration of this film's innovative use of DV to create an attractive and evocative look and feel. The film bites off more than it can chew, taking on homosexuality, Yugoslavia and the dark legacy of Nazi gold that found its way to Macao, all with the same ingenuous that may reflect accurately on its characters but comes off something like MTV's THE REAL WORLD: HONG KONG. Still, its ambition and social consciousness is admirable and makes for worthwhile viewing.

Monster's Ball (2001, Marc Forster)

Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton play two terrible parents whose lives are brought together for one night of hot sex and dubious redemption. I've seen college plays with less ponderous symbolism, bad dialogue and seismic plot shifts. The things that are good about this movie, including the sinister conclusion, seem accidental, while everything that's bad (and there's plenty) feels directly sprung from the writer and director's good intentions. I won't begrudge Halle Berry her Oscar if she gets it, but this is simply a bad movie that only the mother of all liberals could love.

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