Customer Reviews

Unknown Pleasures [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several reviewers in their otherwise thoughtful summaries misrepresented the location of this film. It's not set in Shanghai or Beijing, but in a town in Shanxi Province (I'm pretty sure it was Datong).

Provincial Shanxi is a very different thing from Shanghai or Beijing, both of which are huge, world cities with strong cosmopolitan elements - far from the closed, limited environment depicted in this film. Part of the dilemma of these kids is that there isn't much for them to do in a provincial town in Shanxi, which from the look of it has missed out on China's "economic miracle."

Anyway, this is the second of Jia Zhangke's films that I've seen, and though I thought there were a few too many lengthy shots of Xiao Ji wrestling with his motorcycle, it's well-worth your time if you want to gain some insight into China in transition. Dramatically I found it to be a much stronger film than PLATFORM, which is also really interesting for the sociological insight, but for me was difficult to follow - too many characters who were not clearly drawn and whose stories lacked dramatic tension. The characters in UNKNOWN PLEASURES are recognizable; their stories, while not particularly uplifting or optimistic, are real and poignant.

I'd watch this one in a double-bill with BLIND SHAFT (excellent "film noir meets documentary realism"), and then I'd go play with kittens and puppies to cheer myself up.

for those who are not familiar with chinese films AND china's reality, it is easy AND WRONG to regard crouching tigers, hidden dragon, flying daggers, and hero as "good" or "representitive" of china's film industry. in fact, they received largely mockery besides admiration for their scenaries and music--to verify this, simply read some online bbs;). compared with jia zhangke's movies, these movies are less than chewing gums.

for chinese people, jia zhangke's 3 major films --xiaowu ��*�, unknown pleasures "C�--y, platform �`ä) are the best they've had for years. the unknown pleasures of watching them --repeatedly, if the guessing is right--are great. jia's 4th major movie, "the world" is to be shown 5 days from now,on april 9, 2005, the first of his movies granted a screen in public,and is also likely to be genuinely loved and deservedly acclaimed. i can't wait to buy a ticket ;)

there are some english artilces on him and his films. there will be more. i personally think his achievement has shadowed zhang yimou,jiang wen, and gu changwei(director of peacock) --a good thing, since we all believe in competition raising the standards.

as to "unknown pleasures", i can flag the standard words like "classic", "heart-renching", "deeply moving", "five-star", "2 thumbs up" etc. etc. but for me, i like to think of it, and his other movies, as something i have been looking for, found, and will hold to. The pleasures, yes. Unknown? A pity.

A tale of modern China where school graduates have not much to do while mafia developed all skills exhibited explicitly in movies already.
Eighteen plus boys attempted to rob a bank following the western movies' examples.

Interesting story of local culture and living.

Datong,an industrial city in Shanxi province,the film opens with Bin Bin riding his motorbike into it in the opening shots.The new dawn of globalization shows the opening up of this outpost to Beijing, the new motorway,the internet and karaoke,like splinters of frivolous violence,bringing sensuality into the industrial monochrome.The two main characters,Bin Bin and Xiao Ji are our slacker representatives,both unemployed,looking for work,women or unknown pleasures.They don't so much talk,as move,listen or react,to those moments which are important to them or hard to forget.

Director Jia Zhang-Ke made this film after making a documentary here,drawn to the idea of a post-planned economy, the feelings of bleakness and abandonment of old,shabby,closed up and broken-down factories,as the perfect symbol of these young people's condition.Both Bin Bin and Xiao are teenagers,drifting dreamers inhabiting public spaces, where the lottery is broadcast on speakers,young people lounge about smoking or playing cards,playing pool in pool halls,people watch TV or sing karaoke.The young men having nothing much to do all day,idle around,go around on their motor-bikes,to fill in the boredom of their days.As children of unemployed parents,their prospects are dismal.Disaffected and without ambition.they have time on their hands to hang out,dreaming of girls and escape.

The encroaching globalization comes through the TV,China and the Olympics,an explosion in a textile plant,the collision of US and Chinese planes,the entry of China into the WTO.Xiao Ji chases Quiao Quiao,a dancer-cum-singer-cum-prostitute,despite her boyfriend,a local pimp and gangster, and being roughed up by his goons.He says he'll soften her like instant noodles.Bin Bin sits watching TV,holding hands with his scholarly girlfriend,who wishes to work at WTO.His mother nags him to join the army to get him away from her,but he fails the medical and generally gets drunk.This film covers the `1 child' generation,whose lonelness and empty lives are captured by the digital video,to allow constant, fluid camera movement within extended takes.Western values and culture drift in via pop music and pirated DVD.In one scene Xaoi Ji,in a restaurant with Quao Quao,recalls a scene from Pulp Fiction,where a couple hold up a restaurant,Xaoi shouts"Freeze!", and the film cuts to them dancing in a disco.

The failure of a planned economy is shown in rubbled wasteland.Hopelessness and isolation are perpetually moving.A song is continually played `Unknown Pleasures':"I follow the wind,I'm carefree and happy".Bin Bin tells his girlfriend, there's no future.All that's' open is the present moment,neither past nor future.His girlfriend circles around him on her bike to get him to come with her.Quao Quao quotes to Xiao Ji,Dhuagzi,the philosopher,you should only do what feels good.Jia sends the narrow field of Chinese culture up,by having a punter ask Bin Bin whether he sells Xiao Wu or Platform pirated DVDs,2 of his previous films.Jia works outside the system, covering the capitalist phase of post-communism.The two friends hatch a plan to rob a bank,knowing they'll fail,not having found the unknown pleasures.Bin Bin is forced to sing a song(that song!) by a policeman.Xiao Ji is shown trying to kickstart his motor-bike several times, as he climbs a hill .He is last seen riding his motor-bike until it breaks down on the road while it rains.He hails a bus,leaving the bike behind.Jia is not interested in story,but showing what he feels about time and life,things inexpressible in words,moments we can't see.Unknown pleasures remain unknown.See this film,probably the best of the new wave in China.

That is a new wind finally blowing on China, in a way. The picture of these young Chinese in Beijing, growing up among enormous roadworks and closed-up factories is quite realistic. Some young people in this country that is growing so fast and transforming itself so deeply can only be bored somewhere, if they are not taken up by the movement, and some are definitely not. It no longer is the time of Red Guards and the Cultural Revolution. And it is not yet the time of entrepreneurial dynamism for everyone bringing benifits to everyone. We feel behind the scenes a strict social control in every neighborhood coming from some local � bureaucrats � or � representatives � of we do not exactly know what or who. There definitely is some moral order everywhere in this life, and ways to negociate it and do what one wants to do. Some evils do exist here and there, more or less known and tolerated : prostitution, alcoholism, demotivation, speculation, black market, and many other small activities that represent big money in a country where money is not running full blast in the pipes. But this film was shot and shown in China, and it is no propaganda about what China would like us to believe it is, or even about what China really is. It is a realistic, blunt, and slightly slow image of one section of China that points out real problems more than solutions. This realistic tone is new and it is also courageous in a country that is growing so fast to point out the negative points more than the progress being made. We can even think that in four years, for the Olympic Games they will surprise us, even if they have not yet solved two essential evils : the death penalty and democracy. But when realistic films can be shot and shown in a country, that country is on the right road.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

You'd really have to think that Richard Linklater's Slacker was the basis for this film. Young people in today's Shanghai, China drift around with not much to do, not much thought about what to do, and not much motivation to do anything anyway. They ride their motorbikes, engage in relationships that don't really go anywhere, relate to each other without much to satisfy anyone at all. Of course, if they had any real interests or direction, it might make it easier to relate to people, wouldn't it?

This directionless psychology is mirrored, as was true in Slacker, by the tone and tempo of the film. The director jumps from one thing to another randomly without much focus other than to show just how directionless these young people are. In addition, by including shots that go on and on with the same exact thing (e.g., a guy riding his motorbike on a highway; the same guy trying to start his motorbike in a gravel rut), the psychology of sameness of life, monotonous nothingness is emphasized.

This does bring its theme home, no question. The real question is whether this makes for an intriguing film. For those who want a slice of life--no doubt the aim of Linklater's Slacker as well--this film certainly provides it. For those who are more comfortable with a story line that has momentum, it's definitely not here. Even the love interests, such as they are, are not only never fully realized, but the reasons for that lack of realization are not fully explored. The screenwriter and director are essentially indicating to the audience that because these ARE young people, they are never going to know what they want to do other than be with each other, never going to know how to get what they want, never going to know if they ever WILL want anything at all anyway. So why bother probing character?

Not the best film in the world, if you ask me.