“Against
a background of the flooding
of Fengjie — a 2,000-year-old
Chinese town —
to build the highly-
controversial Three Gorges hydro-
electric dam, a man searches for his
wife and a woman for her husband
in the fascinating film Still Life...” ON THE YANGTZE FERRY coal miner Han Sanming (Zhao Tao, playing the lead
character) from Shanxi is travelling to Fengjie to find Missy Ma, the wife who
deserted him 16 years before, taking their daughter with her. When the ferry
docks, visitors are fleeced by the Wuhan Magical Art Troupe that "welcomes
everyone to the mysteries of supernatural power".
Han is tricked by a motorcycle rider who agrees to take him to Granite Street,
which turns out to be already under water, and then asks for more to take Han
to the Relocation Office to find out where his wife moved to [1.3 million people
have been displaced by China's Three Gorges Dam project — Ed]. He then
takes Han to a lodging house owned by He Zhongming (Wang Qingsong), who helps
Han track down his obstructive and aggressive brother-in-law.
Throughout the film, which takes advantage of the spectacular landscape of the
Three Gorges region, the demolition goes on as properties are taken down and
the area cleared to prepare for the final stage of flooding.
The town is having the heart ripped out of it and the only hindrance to the
old town disappearing forever under the water is the discovery of some Western
Han Dynasty artefacts at an archaeological dig.
A vivid and absorbing tale of two individuals trying to keep up with the dizzying
pace of change in 21st Century China who never meet but whose lives cross, Still
Life was the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2006.
The two contemplative and compassionate stories offer a revelatory, thought-provoking
portrait of people adrift in a world they no longer recognise.
As the buildings come down, a motto is clearly seen on a wall: "Try Hard". White-clad
men spray the rubble and, silhouetted through a gaping window of a derelict
house, a young boy sings: "Even if it's only for one day; make my dreams
come true; I'll always be true to you; whatever it takes I'll see it through."
A woman who offers Han one of her girls tells him that Missy Ma is working on
the Wanzhou Highway. Han has also befriended 'Brother Mark' who works on the
fringes of the underworld and with whom he exchanges mobile numbers. Mark says:
"Present day society doesn't suit us because we're too nostalgic" and commiserates
with Han for losing a wife for whom he paid 3,000 yuan. Cue a song: "Waves
flow, waves pound; The river runs for a thousand miles; It surges through our
world of woes like a cleansing torrent." And so, tragedy beckons...
Meanwhile, in another part of the town, Shen Hong is searching for her husband,
Guo Bin, who is also from Shanxi and from whom she has not heard for over two
years. There is a beautiful image of her in a yellow blouse, watching a strange
light cross the sky — one of the surreal moments of Still Life that
symbolise departure.
Shen Hong approaches Liu, the manager of the engineering works where her husband
was once employed, but he has not seen Guo Bin. He puts her in touch with Wang
Dongming, who knew her husband before the works closed down a few years before.
She walks through the town, evocative music playing as she looks across the
valley to the tall white buildings clinging to the green slopes.
Wang Dongming invites her to stay at his apartment where he has an intriguing
line of clocks and watches of all shapes and sizes. From his window there is
an amazing view to a concrete structure where children still play unconcerned.
While Shen Hong is out with Wang, a bridge is lit up in a brilliant arc of light.
A soft-focus image of a car driving away from the bridge through amber lighting
is magical. Cue another song: "What's got into my eyes so I can't see your
distant shadow…?" As she tracks down her errant husband, Shen Hong has a
surprise in store for him.
With long, uninterrupted takes, Jia Zhangke subjects the changing landscape
to intense lyrical scrutiny, illuminating the relationship between individuals
and their environment and the strange co-existence of man-made squalor alongside
so much natural beauty.
Still Life is a memorable film and a poignant acknowledgment of both
the changing times and the loss of a way of life; with believable characters
and exquisite filming, this DVD is destined for discerning collectors. Screenwriter/Director
is Jia Zhang-Ke; Director of Photography is Yu Likwai; Art Director: Liang Jingdong,
Liu Qiang; Music Composer: Lim Giong; Sound Designer is Zhang Yang; Editor is
Kong Jinlei.
At 37, Jia Zhangke has been hailed by The New York Times as "one of the
world's most important filmmakers". Still Life was released theatrically
by the BFI in February 2008, coinciding with a retrospective of Jia Zhangke's
work at BFI Southbank.
A film by Jia Zhangke, Still Life is now available on DVD (released 25
August, 2008) at a RRP of £19.99. Catalogue No: BFIVD753 | Certificate 15 |
Mandarin Language with English Subtitles | 109 minutes.
Special Features — Feature commentary by Tony Rayns | Dong
(Jia Zhangke, 2006, 66 minutes) a documentary companion piece to Still Life
on painter Liu Xiaodong and his subjects: male labourers from Still Life
and female entertainment workers in Bangkok | Newly-Translated English Subtitles*
| Illustrated booklet with essays by Chris Berry and Jia Zhangke and interviews
with Jia Zhangke.
*This DVD release of Still Life has been awarded a 15 Certificate by
the BBFC as the feature English subtitles translate to stronger language than
appeared in its PG-rated UK theatrical release.
• BFI DVDs are available from the Filmstore
at BFI Southbank, all good DVD retailers, by mail order from 020 7815 1350 or
online at bfi.org.uk/filmstore.
"Still Life is a memorable film and a poignant acknowledgment of both
the changing times and the loss of a way of life; with believable characters
and exquisite filming, this DVD is destined for discerning collectors" —
MotorBar
“Against
a background of the flooding