From one of China's leading film-makers, Jia Zhang Ke, comes a tale of four strangers pushed to breaking point in the bleakest moments of their lives. As their tales loosely connect, we are taken on a visually gripping narrative of violence, murder, crime, and hardship - showing a harsh critique of contemporary China that proves to be both brutal and brave at the same time!
This is the only film I have seen from director Jia, but he's certainly perked my interest. His portrayal of suffering amid the capitalism and prosperity of corrupt officials and gangsters offers a harsh look at humanity, featuring the superb Wu Jiang from Let The Bullets Fly, Dragon (Wu Xia), 1911, and more - along with Wang Bao Qiang, star of Detective Chinatown, Kung Fu Jungle, and Monk Comes Down A Mountain. Both are joined by a great supporting cast, with all giving very real performances in their journeys and stories.
Obviously a play on words against King Hu's classic film, A Touch Of Zen, that also had Buddhism as a key-theme, Jia uses these four stories based on real events to deliver a message of just how many people have been stripped of their morals, or have lost themselves due to greed or working hard for pennies...
With a lengthy running time of 130 minutes, you don't even see the time pass as you are drawn into each tale, with every frame showing something of interest - or something not of interest such as the whipping of a horse until it falls, or the cutting of a duck's throat as a man prepares the evenings dinner. But that is A Touch Of Sin - a harsh, real look at struggling humans who have had all hope removed, and the things they must do to get by.
Overall: Shocking for many reasons, yet gripping at the same time, A Touch Of Sin is a fantastic film that won't lift your spirits, but will let you think hard about the world we live in today!
This is the only film I have seen from director Jia, but he's certainly perked my interest. His portrayal of suffering amid the capitalism and prosperity of corrupt officials and gangsters offers a harsh look at humanity, featuring the superb Wu Jiang from Let The Bullets Fly, Dragon (Wu Xia), 1911, and more - along with Wang Bao Qiang, star of Detective Chinatown, Kung Fu Jungle, and Monk Comes Down A Mountain. Both are joined by a great supporting cast, with all giving very real performances in their journeys and stories.
Obviously a play on words against King Hu's classic film, A Touch Of Zen, that also had Buddhism as a key-theme, Jia uses these four stories based on real events to deliver a message of just how many people have been stripped of their morals, or have lost themselves due to greed or working hard for pennies...
With a lengthy running time of 130 minutes, you don't even see the time pass as you are drawn into each tale, with every frame showing something of interest - or something not of interest such as the whipping of a horse until it falls, or the cutting of a duck's throat as a man prepares the evenings dinner. But that is A Touch Of Sin - a harsh, real look at struggling humans who have had all hope removed, and the things they must do to get by.
Overall: Shocking for many reasons, yet gripping at the same time, A Touch Of Sin is a fantastic film that won't lift your spirits, but will let you think hard about the world we live in today!