COUNTRY, CINEMA
the expectations stemming from its pedestrian title to gain a rating of 8 points out of 10 on the authoritative audience-review app Douban, proving that honest storytelling can, to an extent, overcome the usual flaws of the genre.
A longstanding subcategory in the Chinese film industry, patriotic films, also known as “major theme” movies, typically represent official ideology, mainstream culture, and positive ideals in their plot and setting. Generally, this results in sophomoric efforts with monotonous themes, bland characters,
and maudlin narratives that rarely go beyond the value of sacrifice for the family or pride in the nation’s achievements.
Comprising seven short films by seven directors of different generations, My People, My Country captures a series of historic moments over the last 70 years including the founding of the PRC in 1949, the return of Hong Kong in 1997, and the 2015 parade comemorating the end of the Anti-fascist War. None of these events are directly depicted on screen, but rather, serve as backdrops to the character-driven vignettes intended to remind ordinary citizens of their memories of these historical moments.
Directed by “sixth generation” director Ning Hao, known for his dark grassroots comedies like Crazy Stone (2006), “Hello! Beijing” is one of the most effective stories in the film. Set days before Beijing’s 2008 Olympics, it tells the story of ne’er-do-well taxi driver Zhang Beijing, played by comedy veteran Ge You, who wins a ticket to the Olympics opening ceremony in a company lottery.
After much grandstanding before his coworkers, passengers, and even strangers, Zhang decides to present the ticket as a birthday gift to his estranged son, only to find that the ticket is missing. Ning’s light-hearted treatment and plot twists, centering on an imperfect yet realistic character— Ge shadowed real taxi drivers for the role, and his mannerisms drew guffaws of recognition from the audience—was a refreshing departure from the genre’s typical heavy-handed offerings.
Unfortunately, not all stories were as engaging. “Daytime Meteor,” directed by leading “fifth generation” filmmaker Chen Kaige, centered on two petty thieves who gain faith in the future after witnessing China’s space program in action.
The inspiring premise was brought down by a lacking execution, with inauthentic depictions of poverty and a forced dramatic moment when the protagonists’ munificent mentor collapses, coughing blood, due to terminal illness—right after bringing enlightenment to the two boys.
Released on the same date as
My People, the much more highly anticipated The Captain was adapted from the real-life heroics of Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian, who successfully landed a flight in 2018 after the cockpit windshield broke over a mountainous region en route from Chengdu to Lhasa.
The on-screen depiction of
“Chinese Captain Sully,” though, turned out less than satisfactory.
The film opens with great potential, featuring distinctive characters—a compulsively neat captain, a young and cocky first officer, a cabin crew chief trying to balance work and family, and passengers with various backstories. However, the visual effects and suspense completely take over the human factor during the action part of the film, resulting in flat characters whose heroic feats come off as rote, almost textbook (Sichuan Airlines was heavily involved in the project, perhaps explaining its resemblance to an airline commercial).
Though there weren’t many surprises either in My People, My Country, the film explored the possibility of making patriotic cinema more than the sum of its propagandistic parts. At the end of the day, it’s always good storytelling that gets the idea across—any idea.
(on the phone): Hey, I remember you said you were going to broadcast the opening ceremony. On that day, my son will be there. Could you get [Zhang] Yimou to pan the camera his way for a bit? Only if it's convenient, only if it's convenient…
Ai `i `i, zh-bu j#de n!n sh3nghu! shu4, y3o q&
zhu2nb4 k`im&sh# ma. N3ti`n a, z1n 9rzi y0 z3i xi3nch2ng, n!n n9ngbun9ng g8n Y#m5u t! y! j&,
d3o sh!hou g0i z1n y0 s2o ge j#ngt5u? K3n n!n f`ngbi3n, k3n n!n f`ngbi3n…