It's not a hit movie, it will be a cult classic over time, like many of his other works. Poor folks want to watch "Who wants to become a millionaire" while the limo-democrats want to patronize the 'disadvantaged' by throwing other people's money at the government bureaucrats. But once in a while there comes along a true genius who comes from down below but with a true gift to show to the world what really is like down there in the real world. Jia is one such genius. He's the only Chinese writer director I truly feel proud of.
Only thing about the movie that is kinda disappointing is that I thought the ending of this movie actually betrayed the writer/director's unique style of low key and moderation/ showing something through nothing. To me the ending is really not necessary - I thought the real suffering is in the living not the dead. Maybe Jia ZK wanted to show us he can jerk tears as well if he likes to? Anyway, I was a bit disappointed by this ending really - or the death of the construction worker. Maybe Jia is the new China's Dickens. His movie language is disturbing and profound. What we see through his lens in China is not pretty, but real, excruciatingly real. China is often shown as the high rises in the city, or the shanty towns on the fringe, Jia is the gifted few who show everything else in between as what they really are - and that is the real China most people don't care to see or don't want to see. When you are stuck in between, you don't always get good choices...
Only thing about the movie that is kinda disappointing is that I thought the ending of this movie actually betrayed the writer/director's unique style of low key and moderation/ showing something through nothing. To me the ending is really not necessary - I thought the real suffering is in the living not the dead. Maybe Jia ZK wanted to show us he can jerk tears as well if he likes to? Anyway, I was a bit disappointed by this ending really - or the death of the construction worker. Maybe Jia is the new China's Dickens. His movie language is disturbing and profound. What we see through his lens in China is not pretty, but real, excruciatingly real. China is often shown as the high rises in the city, or the shanty towns on the fringe, Jia is the gifted few who show everything else in between as what they really are - and that is the real China most people don't care to see or don't want to see. When you are stuck in between, you don't always get good choices...