Contexts - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 278

BEIJING ON FILM
Beijing Bastards (1993). A story of apathetic, fast-living youths, this was one of China's
first independently produced films; it stars rock singer and rebel Cui Jian , who is depicted
drinking, swearing and playing the guitar.
BeijingBicycle(2001). Given social realist treatment, this is the story of a lad trying to get
his stolen bike back - a lot more interesting than it may sound.
Cell Phone (2003). Perhaps the most successful work of Feng Xiaogang, one of China's
most revered directors, this satirical comedy revolves around two men having affairs. If
you like it, try Be There or Be Square , Sorry Baby , A World Without Thieves and Big Shot's
Funeral - all light, clever comedies set in Beijing, made during the 1990s.
FarewellMyConcubine(1994). Chen Kaige's superb take on modern Chinese history.
Although the main protagonist - a homosexual Chinese opera singer - is hardly typical of
modern China, the tears induced by the film are wept for the country as a whole.
In the Heat of the Sun (1995). Directed by Jiang Wen, In the Heat of the Sun perfectly
captures the post-revolutionary ennui of 1970s Beijing in its tale of a street gang looking
for kicks. Written by Wang Shuo, the bad boy of contemporary Chinese literature, it dis-
plays his characteristic irreverence and earthy humour.
The Last Emperor (1987). This sumptuously shot tale of Puyi, the last of China's long,
long line of emperors, remains the most famous Western-made film about China - no sur-
prise, really, since it scooped a full seven Oscars.
New Socialist Climax (2009). Jian Yi documentary which explores the way in which re-
volutionary sites have been turned into tourist attractions.
Out of Phoenix Bridge (1997). Li Hong's superb documentary, looking at the lives of
four young women who move from the countryside to Beijing in search of a new life.
Spring Subway (2002). Austere film which employs the capital's gleaming subway sta-
tions as a backdrop to the protagonist's soul-searching.
To Live (1994). One of Zhang Yimou's most powerful films, this follows the fortunes of
a family from “liberation” to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The es-
sence of the story is that life cannot be lived to prescription, and its power lies in the fact
that it is a very real reflection of the experience of millions of Chinese people.
The World (2004). Jia Zhangke film set in a world-culture theme park in Beijing, where
the workers squabble and fail to communicate against a backdrop of tiny replicas of the
world's famous monuments.