A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke)

[Bosco B Thug]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2852400/

[Bosco B Thug]

I watched this after viewing 24 City and I find Zhangke a bit heavy handed. But this is a very rich "action film" with a great screenplay, although I was disappointed to find it a (narrative structure spoiler: )

[

Show Spoiler

multi-story deal.

]

[number8]

Apparently Jia's been watching Korean revenge thrillers.

[NickGlass]

I watched this after viewing 24 City and I find Zhangke a bit heavy handed. But this is a very rich "action film" with a great screenplay, although I was disappointed to find it a (narrative structure spoiler: )

[

Show Spoiler

multi-story deal.

]

I think Zhangke can't help but push a little hard on his social and political commentary (nicely disarmed with dark humor here, whereas it bugged me a bit in The World), but I actually thought the [

Show Spoiler

multi-story deal

] (is this even a spoiler?) actually worked in its subtextual favor; it allows Zhangke to stretch his vision through multiple observations of varied modern Chinese lifestyles as opposed to recycle the same signifiers of oppression and crooked politics.

[Bosco B Thug]

I think Zhangke can't help but push a little hard on his social and political commentary (nicely disarmed with dark humor here, whereas it bugged me a bit in The World), but I actually thought the [

Show Spoiler

multi-story deal

] (is this even a spoiler?) actually worked in its subtextual favor; it allows Zhangke to stretch his vision through multiple observations of varied modern Chinese lifestyles as opposed to recycle the same signifiers of oppression and crooked politics.

It's all sound. Zhangke's style is beautiful and fascinating (if top-heavy for me). The first story was gangbusters, though, so I was literally disappointed. On the other hand, if anything, the ultra-violence pushed me away, but that's just me.

[number8]

Jia's the surname, FYI.

[Bosco B Thug]

Jia's the surname, FYI.

Blerp, that's definitely need-to-know. TY.

[Stay Puft]

Agreed with Nick, to the point that I'd even say the individual stories don't work on their own. I found it a bit flimsy at first, until the accumulation of details began to impress. Although admittedly that's also because I've never been fond of Jia's more whimsical moments, or his use of special effects (I was wildly indifferent to parts of Still Life for that reason). The former actually didn't bother me much here (I enjoyed the humor, particularly [

Show Spoiler

Zhao Tao's "action scene" and Jia's amazing cameo as an art dealer

]) but the special effects, definitely. That may seem like a nitpick but it really does bother me. [

Show Spoiler

The accountant getting shot in the face, especially, was poorly done, but also the suicide in the fourth story, which seemed awfully insensitive and tacky, both in the way the scene is constructed and executed with special effects).

] To that end I suppose I also agree with Bosco a bit re: the ultra-violence, if not for exactly the same reason.

But overall, yes, a film that leaves a strong impression. I like how some of the segments borrowed elements from other films (Johnnie To films in the second story, Tsui Hark's Green Snake in the third), creating a sort of stylistic hall of mirrors (life reflecting art and on and on). The character in the first story was also watching a movie but I didn't catch what it was, or if we even saw footage (I just remember the soundtrack while the character was writing his complaint letter sounded like a sword fighting wuxia film). No movie in the fourth segment that I recall, but there was a scene of some characters playing videogames in an arcade. Not sure if there was any significance there, though.

Oh and the ending felt like it was ripped straight out of Haneke's playbook, unless I'm just crazy. But it also worked for me.

[number8]

Well, it's because the movie is about the culture of violence itself. It's not a character piece about how one person gets involved in violent incidents. It's a story about violent incidents seeping into many aspects of modern life--including accidents and disasters--as a result of classism, and how people are forced to react to them with greater violence to solve the problem. The text really only works when you view all four stories as a whole. Aside from maybe the first segment, which spells it out explicitly to set the tone, I don't think there's much of a social commentary in them individually.

Also I think the movie playing in the background in the first segment might be A Touch of Zen.

[dreamdead]

Welp. Hopefully Jia's able to emigrate from China soon, not remotely surprising though...

[dreamdead]

I found it interesting that Zhao's narrative is the only one that suggests the hope of individual reform, even though the coda also hammers home the idea that reform on an individual isn't especially transformative to a nation that itself needs reform.

The fourth narrative was the one that had the most texture for me, making it all the sadder when the kid chooses his fate. Yet it was also quietly optimistic in its fatalism. To choose self-denial over another outgrowth of violence on others is an interesting observation. And the links that others noted with the films playing in the background were interesting--really need to see Green Snake.

Watched it streaming on Netflix, and the subtitles were about a second and a half ahead of the film. I assume no one who saw it theatrically had this problem?...

[Bosco B Thug]

Watched it streaming on Netflix, and the subtitles were about a second and a half ahead of the film. I assume no one who saw it theatrically had this problem?...

Nope, not at all.

Other people are complaining about it too. Come on Netflix, I defend you so much, get it together!

[Grouchy]

I felt outside of the wavelenght of this movie. On the one hand, it's masterfully written and shot. On the other hand, I felt like the movie was lecturing me the whole time. Not a good feeling.

[transmogrifier]

75/100

The desaturated genre touches constantly wow the cinephile side of your brain while creating an uneasy tension with the consistent, realistic miserabilism of day-to-day living in modern China. Ultimately expresses the futility of the grandiose gesture in the face of overwhelming structural disadvantages.

[dreamdead]

75/100

The desaturated genre touches constantly wow the cinephile side of your brain while creating an uneasy tension with the consistent, realistic miserabilism of day-to-day living in modern China. Ultimately expresses the futility of the grandiose gesture in the face of overwhelming structural disadvantages.

Do you feel that the genre touches elevate or otherwise complicate Jia's social critique felt elsewhere in his films? I rewatched The World and Still Life last year, and I've been wondering if the righteous anger expressed from the violence is another vehicle, while drawing from real-life accounts, to go beyond his typically melancholic representation of oppressed life...

[transmogrifier]

Do you feel that the genre touches elevate or otherwise complicate Jia's social critique felt elsewhere in his films? I rewatched The World and Still Life last year, and I've been wondering if the righteous anger expressed from the violence is another vehicle, while drawing from real-life accounts, to go beyond his typically melancholic representation of oppressed life...

This is the first Jia film I've seen, unfortunately, but hopefully I'll rectify that soon.