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Information
- A.k.a.
- Still Life
- Year
- 2006
- Runtime
- 111 min.
- Director
- Zhangke Jia
- Genre
- Drama
- Rating *
- 7.3
- Votes *
- 3,776
- Checks
- 1,532
- Favs
- 134
- Dislikes
- 21
- Favs/checks
- 8.7% (1:11)
- Favs/dislikes
- 6:1
Top comments
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The_Comatorium
It’s funny how my Netflix queues tend to come together at weird points. Two films directed by Zhangke Jia managed to find their way into future viewing by me and I didn’t even plan the damn thing. “Still Life” came in the mail yesterday and I have “A Touch of Sin” lined up for my next viewing in my Instant Queue. I’ve never seen any of his films before and did not plan this is the slightest. Weird.
Anyway, obviously I sat down to watch Still Life” first, as the mail service is longer and more expensive. Gotta get those discs out of here quick so that my monthly bill is worth it. The film ended up being a pretty interesting watch, albeit very slow, which is not a negative. The film centers around two people who never meet during the duration of the film, as they try to seek out their spouses whom they haven’t seen for years. The story told in the film is a loose one. Neither story arch comes into full focus and only briefly concludes by the end of the film. However, this is a unique film. Zhangke Jia managed to tell and show a lot more than what was most likely written down in the script. The film takes place in the area near the Three Gorges Dam that is to be demolished before eventually being flooded by the dam. Some parts have already been flooded and the rest is being taken care of as the Dam project begins to progress. We are literally seeing people having to move out of areas where they spent the majority of their lives, and they can’t take everything. They have to choose. What is important? What is to stay behind. It is this theme where the emotion comes from in the form of our two protagonists quests to find their spouses. When they find them, will they try to salvage what is left? Will they let them go to nature? Powerful stuff.
The film is gorgeous by the way. In an almost Michael Haneke style, Zhangke Jia let the camera sit a lot and just take in the silence and body language of what was being shown. There were many shots of characters standing before a lush and open landscape that was both beautiful and frightening due to its humongous scale. Images of boats traveling through huge gorges painted most of the scenes and still camera shots of town inhabitants smoking who knows what as they take a break from their labor fill in the cracks. I love this kind of film making. By leaving the camera still on a subject, and letting the scene play out, I get a more realistic feel and can enter the world easier. It also lets the powerful moments register with more weight when you’re not having a rising maelstrom of lights and music to scream to the viewer that what they are witnessing is important. Don’t pander to me film. Let me do the work occasionally.
“Still Life” is a very unique but ultimately rewarding film with subtle imagery galore and packed with symbolism. It may not be a re watchable film, but the photography and heavy message of letting go gave me a unique experience and a good reintroduction to Chinese cinema. I’ll be watching Zhangke Jia’s most recent film “A Touch of Sin” next.
4/5
www.thoughtsfromthebooth.com 9 years 10 months ago
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Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!In 11 official lists
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This movie ranks #45 in Golden Horse's 100 Greatest Chinese-Language Films
Golden Horse's 100 Great…
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This movie ranks #50 in Venice Film Festival - Golden Lion
Venice Film Festival - G…
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This movie ranks #57 in BIFF's Asian Cinema 100
BIFF's Asian Cinema 100
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This movie ranks #62 in Tom Vick's Asian Cinema: A Field Guide
Tom Vick's Asian Cinema:…
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This movie ranks #93 in TSPDT's 21st Century's Most Acclaimed Films
TSPDT's 21st Century's M…
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This movie ranks #96 in Arts & Faith's Top 100 Films
Arts & Faith's Top 100 F…
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This movie ranks #340 in Harvard's Suggested Film Viewing: Narrative Films
Harvard's Suggested Film…
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This movie ranks #432 in Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists
Cahiers du Cinéma's Annu…
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This movie ranks #802 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
Sight & Sound's The Grea…
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This movie ranks #811 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
811 -
This movie ranks #1067 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…
1067