I knew little about the work of director Jia Zhang Ke, and Still Life (or The Good People of the Three Gorges) provides me with an excellent introduction to his work.
Several films have been done to depict the changes, to the lives of many residents, associated with the Three Gorges project. Still Life is one of them but also uses this backdrop to tell two stories of man-women relationship, its disintegration and possible reconciliation.
The movie is slow moving, but at a pace relevant to the sentiment being conveyed. The camera work is great. Acting, most likely by non-professional actors, was solid.
I was in the Three Gorges area some 10 years ago before the commencement of the Project, and could relate to the scenery and people in that area. The film was done without excessive sentiment, and director Jia took his time to tell the stories in an unpretentious and yet elaborate fashion.
I highly recommend the film, and will seek out Jia's work in the future.
Several films have been done to depict the changes, to the lives of many residents, associated with the Three Gorges project. Still Life is one of them but also uses this backdrop to tell two stories of man-women relationship, its disintegration and possible reconciliation.
The movie is slow moving, but at a pace relevant to the sentiment being conveyed. The camera work is great. Acting, most likely by non-professional actors, was solid.
I was in the Three Gorges area some 10 years ago before the commencement of the Project, and could relate to the scenery and people in that area. The film was done without excessive sentiment, and director Jia took his time to tell the stories in an unpretentious and yet elaborate fashion.
I highly recommend the film, and will seek out Jia's work in the future.