Taraparain
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
mdkiem
A poem to the millions of young men in China who are tempted and beguiled by the promises of a rapidly economically advancing society but are unable to turn those promises into reality. There are new roads in all directions but your scooter won't get you anywhere. The lyrics of the song perfectly fit the hopes and frustrations of the young men. BTW, the characters in this movie are not so much influenced by American culture as they are by the consumerism and globalization of the Chinese economy. "Are you having fun?"
Niv_Savariego
"...as soon as the vocal signs strike your ear, they announce to you a being like yourself. They are, so to speak, the organs of the soul. If they also paint solitude for you, they tell you you are not alone there." (Rousseau)Zhang Ke's film is an incomplete song or a negotiation. Negotiation because he seems to ask us to imagine some possible future for his characters, some unknown pleasure potentially available to them. In return he'll provide us with a story. But for now, this film will have to be just some form of negotiation, not a complete story in itself. Unknown Pleasures is the name of Joy Division's first LP. In one memorable scene, Xiau Wu asks Bin Bin for pirated DVDs of 'Xiau Wu' and 'Platform' (Zhang Ke's previous films, starring Xiau Wu himself), and Bin Bin says he doesn't have them, Xiau Wu then asks for 'Love will tear us apart'. Well, we all know where this might lead to. (the band's name, by the way, chimes well with the way the official Chinese propaganda is depicted). Unknown pleasures is also a reference to Zhoangzhi, the ancient Daoist philosopher who dreamt he was a butterfly, and then could not figure out whether he was Zhoangzhi dreaming himself as a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming himself as Zhoangzhi. If only our characters could manage something like that! The closest they get to it is via a Dollar bill that comes inside a liquor bottle, American cinema (Pulp Fiction, appropriately) and a sweet pop song - 'Unknown Pleasures', once again, which Bin Bin will be forced to sing by the policeman at the end of the film. There are many 'unknown pleasures' on offer, but none of them is in fact 'unknown' or pleasurable: Falun Gong (perhaps even self immolation to achieve Nirvana), the 2008 Olympic games, etc. None provide a solution, just an escape. There is no 'opening' in Zhang Ke's world, not even the divide between art and real life will do, or help us forget this dreariness, this hopelessness. Good honest people become good honest criminals, just because there is no opening, no way to imagine otherwise, some unknown pleasure to make these humans complete, some way to make the fire on Xiao Ji's sleeves become real (tellingly, when he decides to rob a bank, he changes to a black shirt. The fire has burned out). In a way, Zhang Ke tells us, you cannot sing without your song turning into some kitschy propaganda, some form of coercion, but you also cannot not wish to sing. Not wanting to sing is a tragedy. And his heroes struggle hard and hopelessly in search of acquiring that wish.In a way, once again, Zhang Ke sings the song of the inability to sing (he appears briefly in the film, singing), of human beings who are unable to become ones, but are ones anyhow. He tells us his story bleakly, slowly, and in a very sensitive way. Following this movie he has turned towards a somewhat more benign and entertaining 'fantastic realism' style (in The World and Still Life, both are excellent). This is his second best after Xiau Wu.
J. M. Verville
The story begins with an outline of the mundaneness of the lives and future of two Chinese youths, and progresses into showing in a short amount of time just how much their lives and personal situations change; dealing with unemployment, troublesome love lives and coming into their own a beautiful story unfolds. With allusions to the film Pulp Fiction throughout and a recurring song that touches the heart, with solid performances by all of the actors (especially Zhao Tao) it was a very good film. My only criticism is at times the story can be slow, though overall the story is far more interesting than one sees in normal cinema. The film was particularly strong in the simplistic nature of the film-making itself, with nothing ever over-the-top. It aimed to tell the situation as how it really is, and to tell life like how it really is, not some sort of Hollywoodized conception of life. The artistic reflection that was put into the film shows a great and amazing depth to it that is often hard to find.
Overall, a great film my Jia Zhang-ke. The feelings of hopelessness that he is able to make oneself feel make this a must-see for anyone who enjoys sad cinema and existentialism, and is interested in the struggles of youth and issues of modernization and globalization.
kmethi
Unknown Pleasures is the first Jia Zhang Ke film that I have seen and it is excellent. The setting is a town in the north of China, but it could be anywhere in the developing world - India, Argentina or South Africa, for example - where neo liberal economic policies have benefitted the urban elite, but created dislocation for millions of others. The director undoubtedly has a deep social conscience.The film focuses on several young people, members of China's "new new" generation. As the films progresses, we see what the new world order offers them - US currency, American pop culture, the 2008 Olympics, new super highways - contrasted with the reality - few opportunities for young people, laid off state factory workers and a general degradation of moral values. The message is clear: the new world order offers common people everything in return for giving up traditional ways of life, but actually delivers little of substance. As Bin Bin puts it when he finds out that his girlfriend is going to Beijing to study international trade: "WTO is nothing. Just a trick to make some cash."The social realist style - it has a bit of a documentary look to it - and the pop song which the film is named after and which features prominently in it (Ren Xiao Yao - the lyrics speak about youth alienation, particularly a desire for freedom and pleasure) also provide a cutting edge look and feel. The song is emotive and will strike a chord with those who like explorations of youth alienation.However, the film, as befits the political and artistic climate in China, is very subtle and understated, and may escape those who have little knowledge of current affairs in China or an insensitivity to the economic and social dislocation that is taking place outside the big cities (this is not a good date movie for the corporate Western expat and his urban Chinese girlfriend who measure progress by the number of new condos and Western restaurants in Shanghai).This is great indie filmmaking, though, and I would particularly recommend it to socially and politically aware twenty and thirtysomethings who like artistic expression that is intelligent, socially conscientious and cutting edge.
