Guest brett Posted July 16, 2003 at 07:24 PM Report Posted July 16, 2003 at 07:24 PM If you have not seen the movies Happy Times or Beijing Bicycle, do not read the rest of this post. I don't want to ruin the movies for you. ----- Last night I watched the movie Happy Times and a few weeks ago I saw Beijing Bicycle. I enjoyed them both very much, but was surprised by both of them towards the end. With both movies, you watch the characters try so hard to make things work out right. And as soon as it seems like everyone will be happy, everything turns tragic. Both movies have such sad endings. Are most Chinese movies sad like this? Quote
roddy Posted July 17, 2003 at 03:45 AM Report Posted July 17, 2003 at 03:45 AM I haven't seen Beijing Bicycle yet, but I have seen Happy Times. I think Happy Times has an alternative ending, which you get to see if you buy an expensive enough DVD (ie not 8Y from Xinjiekou). Anyway, assuming we're talking about the same ending, I didn't find it that sad - kind of wistful and open-ended, but you don't necessarily know its all going to go wrong. Though having said that, i wouldn't fancy my chances if I was a skinny little blind girl getting off a bus in Guangzhou with no cash and vague hopes of finding my dad. Fortunately, that's probably not going to happen. Happy Times' ending is certainly not typical of Chinese movies, but Zhang Yimou is certainly not typical of Chinese directors. Roddy Quote
Guest brett Posted July 17, 2003 at 05:28 PM Report Posted July 17, 2003 at 05:28 PM You're right about the open ending--And life goes on... Ahhhh... I'll have to check out more of Zhang Yimou's movies. I'm pretty ignorant of chinese cinema except for the action films coming out of Hong Kong (And even then I'm still pretty ignorant). Also, I'm so used to the junk put out by our (American) studios. I'm pretty sure that our general public wouldn't pump enough money into a movie without a happy ending to make it worth while for the big studios... And most likely I won't be dropped off in Guangzhou, blind, skinny, or poor, unless things go radically different in the next few weeks, either. (Well... Poor is a possibility. But skinny!?!) Quote
roddy Posted July 18, 2003 at 01:39 AM Report Posted July 18, 2003 at 01:39 AM Watched Beijing Bicycle last night - Excellent film, but not recommended if you need cheered up . . . Quote
niubi Posted October 3, 2003 at 08:03 AM Report Posted October 3, 2003 at 08:03 AM i definitely recommend that you read the original story of 'happy times' which is collected as the title story in shifu, you'll do anything for a laugh translated by howard goldblatt. its a very different story and i have to say much better than the film. Quote
badatpool Posted February 13, 2004 at 02:54 PM Report Posted February 13, 2004 at 02:54 PM Thanks my friend for lending me the “Beijing Bicycle” which just stopped my yawning, but I have to get up early tomorrow… By the way,最讨厌北京的小痞子，can you guess who is the typical one? Quote
Ian_Lee Posted February 13, 2004 at 08:05 PM Report Posted February 13, 2004 at 08:05 PM Both movies are available for borrowing in most municipal libraries in US. I borrowed both recently. My personal preference is Happy Times since it is a Black Comedy. The plight of the blind girl in the movie has really made tears come down my cheeks. What is the other ending? For Beijing Bicycles, the high school girlfriend of the student who stole the bike from the rural kid-turned messenger was too mature. She looked like a college girl from her body look. But strictly speaking, both movies are not tragedies. Quote
Ian_Lee Posted February 13, 2004 at 11:50 PM Report Posted February 13, 2004 at 11:50 PM The best tragedy produced in Mainland China so far is "Farewell The Concubine". I watched it three times. The acting of Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li and Leslie Cheung was unsurpassed. Most sarcastic was that Cheung, the gay actor who loved his fellow opera classmate, could survive the Warlord period, the KMT era, the Japanese occupation terror, the 3-anti and 5-anti purge and even the catastrophic Cultural Revolution, but ironically committed suicide on the eve of the reform in late '70s. What did Chen Kaige want to say in the movie? Quote
skylee Posted February 14, 2004 at 01:48 AM Report Posted February 14, 2004 at 01:48 AM I think (if I remember correctly) 程蝶衣 kills himself not because of political reasons, but because at last he finds out that 段小樓 has known about his love for him all along but has never loved him. If you like the movie, you may also wish to read the novel written by 李碧華. Quote
Ian_Lee Posted February 17, 2004 at 08:16 PM Report Posted February 17, 2004 at 08:16 PM Skylee: So 程蝶衣 didn't commit suicide out of political reason, then why did Beijing ban the public release of this movie in Mainland? Probably they have been misled by Director Chen as I was. Quote
Ole Posted August 19, 2004 at 10:05 PM Report Posted August 19, 2004 at 10:05 PM Beijing Bicycle made me cry. And I found a Beijing Bijou that -possibly- could hurt me too. I saw her walking by a tree, chanting in a low voice... (little enigmatic message, sorry for any inconvenience) Ole Quote
wushijiao Posted August 20, 2004 at 02:39 AM Report Posted August 20, 2004 at 02:39 AM So 程蝶衣 didn't commit suicide out of political reason, then why did Beijing ban the public release of this movie in Mainland? I thought he commited suicide because he couldn't seperate art from reality. For example, when 程蝶衣 plays for the Japanese, he doesn't see any moral dilema, he only sees some people who generally like the art form. Their was no difference between fiction and reality, so after the Cultural Revolution he had to die to finally complete his role. I always assumed it was banned because the authorities were a bunch of redneck good ol' boys. Or I thought it was banned because of the way it portrays the Japanese. There's no doubt that they were, as a political force, evil. Yet on a personal level,some Japanese people were willing to admire Chinese art, while the Commies all but killed 京剧. Now it is a token art form for old people and tourists. "Farwell My Concubine" is probably the most nuanced, Shakespeanaen-like movie I've ever seen. Quote
LiYuanXi Posted August 20, 2004 at 06:37 AM Report Posted August 20, 2004 at 06:37 AM Commies all but killed 京剧. Now it is a token art form for old people and tourists Well, at least i am not old and i am not just a tourist. I think there are still quite a number of opera fans out there. I do hope this beautiful art form will not extinct! Me too i love "Farewell my concubine". Being a fan of opera, this movie taught me lots of things about Chinese opera in the 50s/60s. Quote
Ole Posted August 20, 2004 at 08:10 AM Report Posted August 20, 2004 at 08:10 AM Please try The Internet Movie Database for background information on "Farewell My Concubine (1993)" . have fun, Ole Quote
LiYuanXi Posted August 20, 2004 at 08:36 AM Report Posted August 20, 2004 at 08:36 AM 程蝶衣， 一個絕對自戀而且自信的人， 他在舞台上的狂熱，讓我看到了自己的影子。 我想演他，卻不希望是他。 --- 張國榮 Leslie Cheung commited sucide just like Cheng Die Yi in movie. That is a real tragedy. Quote
wushijiao Posted August 21, 2004 at 03:14 AM Report Posted August 21, 2004 at 03:14 AM Well, at least i am not old and i am not just a tourist. I think there are still quite a number of opera fans out there. I do hope this beautiful art form will not extinct! Sorry, I got a bit carried away! I'm a fan too....but when I go to performances in Shanghai, there don't seem to be that many people under 60, or that aren't travelers. I didn't mean to insult the amazing art form! Quote
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