China has been much in the news.  Over the past several weeks we have heard of the measures the Chinese government has taken to combat the spread of the covid-19 virus which emerged in Wuhan.  The direct and severe restrictions on travel, and imposed confinement seems to have blunted the spread of the potentially deadly infection.  Korea has also taken similar strict measures including widespread testing in order to sequester the spread of the disease.

I am impressed.  It seems that these countries will suffer fewer fatalities in proportion to their population than will we here in the States.  Of course the future is open, and speculation often is rendered moot by reality.

I do not remember how I learned of Jia Zhangke, a Chinese Film director.  Zhangke has been making movies since 2004, and has a reputation for social criticism, a sensitivity to the impact of globalization on working class individuals.  I learned that his latest film Ash Is the Purist White released in 2018 won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.  I’ve seen a few foreign films in the past and on balance have found the material provocative, food-for-thought.  I was surprised to find Zhangke’s award winning latest film was available on Amazon Prime.  Since Laura and I are good customers of Amazon, on account of our need for books, the film was available to us for viewing.

I read somewhere that the story is a dark-comedy.  That’s one way to describe it though I don’t remember laughing even once.  I felt immersed in the life of a hard-scrabble, working class town, seated within a smoky male filled room while they socialized, as all people do.  The story is of a man and a woman.  The male is a small time gangster, an under-boss of sorts, managing the affairs of his “employer” who is anxious to find tenants for a housing project that he has just finished building.  Opposition to the success of the project has risen.  Bin, the small-time gangster-lieutenant assures his boss that he “will take care of the problem.”  Soon after though, the over-boss is murdered.  It is obvious that he has enemies.

As you can imagine this is a rough and tumble story of how things get done in a certain level in present day China.  At another level it is the story of Bin and his girlfriend Zhao (pronounced Tao), the arc of their relationship over many years. The episodes of violence are the catalysis for a change in direction of the story.    As I think about the details of this movie, the more I am impressed by the director’s skill at story telling.  He and his cast deserved the award given at Cannes.

Not to spoil the story for you, I will say that the hero, the one who emerges at the end with her sense of self intact is the female, Zhao.

You can view the trailer CLICK HERE.

Take care of yourself and be well!