I had jokingly messaged a friend, in between watching the first and second halves, that the film made me want to either fall asleep or kill myself. The characters are not only miserable, but pathetic, self-involved, and lack any sense of joy, passion, wonder or love. The pace is excruciatingly slow, and at almost 4 hours, unreasonably long. I thought it was pretentiously depressing. On this last point, I guess I was wrong.
I was very sorry to find the dedication at the end of this film to the young writer/director Hu Bo, and to read later that he had committed suicide. But I cannot say I was surprised. In retrospect, I realized that the misery he depicted in this film reflects how he truly viewed the world. Poor man.
This might explain the awards and rave reviews, as Hu Bo's suicide makes people unable to judge the film dispassionately. It makes us realize that we are getting a sincere message from the mind of a clinically depressed man.
However, judging the film entirely on its own merits, I stand by my one star rating. It is excruciating to watch, and lacks any engaging character, or moments of entertainment, enlightenment, pleasure, or inspiration. Instead, it does the opposite, saying over and over that life is just agony, nothing else. Though it may have been his honest view, it is the very limited view of a sadly twisted mind. It is worse than nothing, it is harmful and untrue. People are not just wretched, selfish and nothing else, even if Hu Bo couldn't see it.
I am sorry I wasted 4 hours of my life on this, and I would never recommend this movie to anyone else.
I was very sorry to find the dedication at the end of this film to the young writer/director Hu Bo, and to read later that he had committed suicide. But I cannot say I was surprised. In retrospect, I realized that the misery he depicted in this film reflects how he truly viewed the world. Poor man.
This might explain the awards and rave reviews, as Hu Bo's suicide makes people unable to judge the film dispassionately. It makes us realize that we are getting a sincere message from the mind of a clinically depressed man.
However, judging the film entirely on its own merits, I stand by my one star rating. It is excruciating to watch, and lacks any engaging character, or moments of entertainment, enlightenment, pleasure, or inspiration. Instead, it does the opposite, saying over and over that life is just agony, nothing else. Though it may have been his honest view, it is the very limited view of a sadly twisted mind. It is worse than nothing, it is harmful and untrue. People are not just wretched, selfish and nothing else, even if Hu Bo couldn't see it.
I am sorry I wasted 4 hours of my life on this, and I would never recommend this movie to anyone else.