RAS FILM CLUB
Sunday 18TH December, 2011 6.00pm for 6.30pm at
Embankment Building, Ground Floor
河滨大楼，苏州北路
RAS FILM CLUB – 3RD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH – DECEMBER 18TH
Guizi Lai Le, 2000
Devils on the Doorstep
Directed by Jiang Wen
Produced by Jiang Wen
Mandarin with English subtitles
Inspired by a novella by You Fengwei; co-written by Jiang Wen
Cast:
Set in 1944 in a small village in North China, Rock-Armour Terrace, during Japanese Occupation. Working with the same Director of Photography as on his earlier award winning In The Heat of the Sun, Gu Changwei, they used contemporary photographs and documentaries and their childhood memories to compose the film's pared down, close-up feel. This huge film, filmed entirely in black and white, revolves around the central character, Ma Dasan, played brilliantly by Jiang Wen. Ma finds himself unexpectedly responsible for 2 hostages when he is interrupted during a late-night clandestine sexual encounter by a knock on his door by an unknown stranger, ‘Me’, delivering 2 sacks. The hostages turn out to be a scurrilous, wounded Japanese soldier (Hanaya Kosaburo) and a Chinese translator in the employ of the Japanese (Hanchen Dong). Ma is plunged into an impossible situation and whilst everyone around him wants the hostages dead, Ma struggles with the moral imperative to keep them alive and his fear of killing and being killed.
Jiang Wen gives a masterful performance as Ma and is surrounded by a gallery of well-developed and compelling characters, many played by non-actors. A directorial masterpiece; hilarious and tragic, it gives a rare insight into life during the Japanese occupation. A dark comedy until a celebration hosted by the Japanese army to spread goodwill amongst the Chinese villagers: then the movie turns simply shocking. It is an anti-war film about the inter-dependency between the weak and the strong that feeds war and whilst it takes on board the atrocities involved, it is more concerned with how this effects people rather than with anti-Japanese sentiment.
Approved by the authorities initially, but criticised when completed, Jiang Wen was banned from making films in China for 2 years. Jiang Wen, famous for his many leading roles is action movies like Let the Bullets Fly, says he will not make films outside of China: all of his stories are in Chinese.
Grand Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival 2000
Kinema Junpo Awards 2003, Best Foreign Film Director
Mainichi Film Awards 2003, Best Foreign Film
Running Time 140 minutes
Our evening will be hosted by Bites Lounge by CHAI Living who have kindly provided the venue, equipment, a discount on the menu AND a specially prepared Tapas platter for RAS members to enjoy while watching the movie.
Donation suggested: RMB 20.00 (RAS members) and RMB 50.00 (non-members) those unable to make the donation but wishing to attend may contact us for exemption, prior to the RAS Film Club viewing. Membership applications and membership renewals will be available at this event.
RSVP: filmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn RSVP ESSENTIAL AS SPACE IS LIMITED
FULL ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS:
Bites Lounge by CHAI Living
Embankment Building, Ground Floor410C North Suzhou Road Hongkou
( between
In Chinese: 河滨大楼，苏州北路410C底楼（在四川路河南路之间）
Line 10 to Tiantong Road – exit 5 brings you out at the corner of the two roads and you will see the back of the building on the diagonal corner.
OR
Line 2 to