Eight Rooks - June 11, 2009, 2:40pm

you can certainly argue that one advantage of the state’s beady little eyes peering over everybody’s shoulders is these people make some amazing films as a result, the like of which they would not produce under more liberal conditions. Obviously that’s not an argument to be made lightly, but it does have some weight.

Is the basis of that argument that, since they can’t come right out and say it, they’ve got to be all metaphorical, hence arty, hence good?

That’s a weird argument.

Metaphor doesn’t automatically equal genius, no. But when people have to think of metaphors in order to ensure their film gets released at all, let alone says what they want it to say, it can do. Images or standalone narratives frequently stick in the mind more effectively than two hours of political diatribes.

EDIT: Of course, you’re perfectly right to say that, though - I meant the danger lies in the whole “see, oppressive regimes aren’t so bad if they give us X, Y and Z” aspect of it, but you can get way too anally-retentive with it as well. After all, I’m not a great fan of a lot of… very academic film criticism. I just think there’s some sense in it that sometimes goes ignored, same as with any school of thought; I certainly don’t believe you can flat out say CENSORSHIP IS BAD MMKAY AND NOTHING GOOD EVER CAME OF IT.

Eight Rooks - June 11, 2009, 3:12pm

Images or standalone narratives frequently stick in the mind more effectively than two hours of political diatribes.

Oh god, yes. I couldn’t agree more.

Ok, I stopped following this thread a while back, but in terms of Zhang Yibai, he’s my favorite director of the new generation.

I definitely thought Shanghai portion in About Love was the best….both visually and story-wise. It packed a punch, whereas the other two were rather flat. Tokyo was cute, and Taipei sacrificed quite a bit in terms of pace to be different.

He’s got quite the style, a part of the new generation of Chinese filmmakers who never had to go to the countryside, and feel more comfortable with it (*Zhang Yimou*) The city was his playground and I look forward to seeing more of his work and all the other Chinese directors coming out.

I do think Chinese film is booming quite rapidly, away from the indie, to the mainstream…maybe that’s for another day.