Film buffs
will recognize some similarity to the Italian neo-realist classic "The
Bicycle Thief," but director Wang Xiaoshuai's "Beijing Bicycle" assumes a
life of its own as it takes us on a tour of the city in contemporary China
and introduces us to problems specific to this environment that is still
mysterious for most Westerners. As such it is a compelling and fascinating
movie-going experience that works both as drama and as a foreign journey.
Guei, played with deadpan intensity by Cui Lin, is a newcomer to
Beijing and representative of the many villagers who try to escape their
poverty by migrating to the city to try to carve out a more hopeful
future. He gets a job as a delivery boy, a position for which he doesn't
need previous experience. The pay is low, but he is given a bicycle and
after working for a certain period the bicycle will become his own. He is
exploited and treated sternly, to be sure, but there is also opportunity.
Of course we know that his bike is likely to be stolen, and the tragedy
strikes just as he nearly finishes paying for it. Guei must search the
city in hope of finding it. The desperation is much different than the
poverty-level desperation of the father in "The Bicycle Thief," set in
unemployment ridden, poverty stricken post-World War II Rome, as in that
film the theft victim roams the city with his young son knowing that
feeding his family depends on having bicycle in order to hold his job of
plastering advertising signs on walls. Still, the situation is desperate
enough for Guei.
We tour Beijing with him and it is interesting so get a glimpse of what
life is like there now and what the city looks like, with its new
buildings, new wealth and growing class divisions. In effect we are also
treated to a sociology lesson as we get to know the young man who stole
the bicycle for his own reasons, observe his relations with his family and
learn about what he and his companions do day-to-day. There is also the
mystery of the beautiful young woman on a balcony who seems far above
Guei's station.
It's also interesting to note the special character of efforts to solve
problems and work out various tradeoffs. We gain insights into family life
and observe situations that can lead to violence. The film moves along
slowly, which may make some impatient, but really provides an opportunity
to become deeply immersed in the locale and its people. One gets to know
and like Guei and root for him as he tries stubbornly to triumph over his
difficulties and the odds. The sensitively directed and beautifully
photographed "Beijing Bicycle" bids to be one of the finest foreign
language imports of 2002. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
From OFCS
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