« Gandhi Controversy | Statue Demanded Removed | Main | The Walking Dead | From Comic Book To Television Series »
VIFF 2010 | Aftershock
By VIFF Correspondent Amy Chow
Aftershock
Dragons and Tigers
China, 2010, 135 minutes
DIR: Feng Xiogang
At the premiere of Aftershock, Dragons and Tigers co-programmer Tony Rayns, mused aloud about how director Feng Xiaogang has been called an Asian James Cameron saying, "It's not entirely correct but for our extent and purposes, it's good enough."
Based on the novel by Zhang Ling, this Chinese record-breaking blockbuster is framed between two major earthquakes: the Tangshan Earthquake of 1976 that killed more than 240,000 people and the more recent Sichuan earthquake.
Central to the film is the story of a mother's decision to sacrifice her daughter's life to save her son's in the aftermath of the Tangshan Earthquake. It's a decision that her daughter Fang Deng overhears. Fang Deng ends up surviving, but is presumed dead by her family. After the earthquake, Fang Deng is assumed to be an orphan and she's adopted by a military couple. From there, we follow the brother and sister over the next 32 years as Fang Deng's life takes a separate direction from her twin brother, Fang Da.
At times the film seems overly patriotic, as we watch Fang Da gradually become a successful businessman who can easily afford to buy a new apartment and car. In fact, one can almost smell the whiff of propaganda considering theTangshan city government is one of the film's official producers!
Other contentious points throughout the film, include scenes of the Red Guards shown heroically saving the survivors of the Tangshan Earthquake in a highly, organized fashion - whether or not this actually occurred is highly debatable. Plus there is no mention, or criticism of the Sichuan government's role in the shoddy construction that contributed to the death toll of thousands of children. Despite these shortcomings, all of these things can be forgiven because the film's heart is in the right place as it tackles the difficult issues of post-traumatic stress disorder, survival's guilt, the preference for sons in Asian society, love, and forgiveness.
For now Aftershock doesn't have a US distributor, but hopefully due to its success in China, that will change soon.
Schema Magazine's coverage of VIFF 2010 is sponsored by the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.schemamag.ca/mt/mt-tb.cgi/2029
Comments
I saw this film and agree with much of this review. The film avoids many controversial subjects in favour of the more emotionally-rich story of a family with extraordinary challenges. As a film, it's not perfect, but it's powerful. I think it will especially resonate with people from areas that have experienced natural disasters.
FILM | FILM FESTIVALS | IN-DEPTH 1.1
PEOPLE TO WATCH |
Follow us
October 12, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Comments (1)
Permalink
PEOPLE TO WATCH |
Follow us
October 12, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Comments (1)
Permalink
Recent Posts
Ana Tijoux | The New Girl On The Hip Hop Block
The Walking Dead | From Comic Book To Television Series
Gandhi Controversy | Statue Demanded Removed
Family First | Bravo!FACT Shorts Under the Stars | Review
Caitlin Byrnes | People to Watch
Advertisement
Tags
(25)
(1)
(15)
(7)
(11)
(4)
(1)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(2)
(77)
(7)
(51)
(33)
(33)
(1)
(15)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(6)
(5)
(1)
(3)
(16)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(13)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(8)
(10)
(5)
(1)
(1)
(5)
(20)
(1)
(1)
(20)
(6)
(2)
(1)
(71)
(2)
(40)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(112)
(3)
(28)
(1)
(7)
(5)
(4)
(1)
(36)
(9)
(59)
(5)
(2)
(39)
(1)
(5)
(5)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(7)
(1)
(1)
(16)
(1)
(32)
(1)
(9)
(12)
(46)
(87)
(75)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(186)
(1)
(14)
(1)
(57)
(1)
(8)
(1)
(1)
(60)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(11)
(35)
(8)
(5)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(5)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(23)
(1)
(8)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(32)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(1)
(1)
(41)
(3)
(5)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(12)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(35)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(12)
(1)
(3)
(8)
(53)
(3)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(4)
(1)
(1)
(89)
(4)
(7)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(22)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(36)
(11)
(1)
(1)
(8)
(1)
(1)
(14)
(1)
(10)
(11)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(25)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(22)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(12)
(1)
(11)
(35)
(1)
(4)
(32)
(13)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(31)
(2)
(16)
(1)
(17)
(1)
(45)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(49)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(34)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
Archives
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
Advertisement