介绍:
"Coming Home", or "Gui Lai", is more than just a man's struggle to come home, it also marks director Zhang Yimou's return to his creative sweet spot, and more importantly, a rebooted quest with a new companion. How far the couple would go depends on the market reaction to their first joint venture.
"Coming Home" is adapted from the last 30 pages of Chinese writer Yan Geling's novel "Lu Fan Yan Shi". It tracks the life of ex-criminal, Lu Yanshi, as he tries desperately to get back to his family. Actor Chen Daoming and actress Gong Li take up most of the screen time and their performances are exemplary.
Yan Geling's original work is set in China between the 1940s and 1970s, with the emphasis on Lu's experience as a prisoner. Zhang Yimou's adaptation, however, shifts the focus to Lu's odyssey in the aftermath of his difficult early life.
It was a time of repentance and rediscovery. People seek reconciliation with their past and struggle to get back to a balanced life of passion and rationality. Despite an outburst of belated laments in the literary circle, most people chose to move on and resumed their lives.
"Coming Home" captures the repercussion of the past, as well as the longing for a better future of Lu's time. While depicting the seemingly insensitive determination to move on, Zhang gave up on his habit of colorful extravaganza - which he used to appeal to the movie market - and instead resorted to his old tricks of modest imagery and restrained emotion - a choice quite fitting to the subject.
His endeavors were not without success. The plain images apparently registered in the hearts of many elderly moviegoers. Even younger men and women - whose knowledge about that part of history mainly derives from books and telltales - often have trouble holding back tears in the face of Zhang's instigation.
The return to simplicity also corresponds to Zhang's cooperation with a new partner. "Coming Home" is Zhang's first outing since signing with online video portal LeTV, so it will certainly be available on the internet.
This sheds some new light on the future of Chinese art-house films, because they are now given a way to circumvent snobbish Chinese cinema owners. Previously, Chinese art-house films have had limited exposure in cinemas due to lack of spectacle, lucidity and market potential. But now, with the development of online video portals, they can be ready for streaming at the leisure of any willing viewers with an adequate amount of taste.
That's good news for the Chinese film industry in general, but for veteran director Zhang Yimou, there is one problem remaining; Chinese cinema-goers are quickly becoming younger. Not long ago, we've seen the box office success of movies targeted solely at the post 80s and 90s generations. The post 80s group sometimes can respond to Zhang Yimou's appeal, but the 90s generation is a whole different cultural group, and catering to their taste can be a challenge.
On the one hand, the revered director could benefit from the freedom of an online distribution platform. At the same time, however, no distributor can afford to ignore the market demand. So the beginning of Zhang's 15-year contract with LeTV may represent a return to form for the director, but it could also mean a prolonged task of adapting himself to the modern times.
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