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Based on a short story by Shi Tiesheng, Chen Kaige's latest film is a fable that explores the chasm between faith and magic, authority and disobedience, sacrifice and consummation. Far more epic and grandly pictorial than any of Kaige's previous works (King of Children, Yellow Earth, The Big Parade), it has been suggested that this film is an attempt to share in some of the huge popularity accorded other recent films from mainland China, such as Red Sorghum or Ju Doit. |
A blind musician has sustained himself with the belief that he can be cured. First he must break 1000 strings on his sanxian (a traditional three-stringed guitar); he has broken 995, but is now an old man approaching death. With his young disciple Shitou, he roams the countryside promoting peace and harmony, and trying in vain to keep the restless Shitou beneath his wing.
According to Kaige, the film is a plea for the rejuvenation of Chinese culture, civilization and identity (interestingly enough, the Chinese authorities have seen it as a subversive threat). As a socio-political parable, however, the film's resolution is remarkably open-ended and vague, Kaige refusing to pass judgement on the actions or behaviour of either man. At the same time, the film's soaring imagery and naive poetry, that see faith as the guiding and self-perpetuating forces of humanity, cast a spell that is overpowering and transcendent.
• Paul Kalina