Earlier this week I had the chance to see Jia Zhang-ke's debut feature Xiao Wu (aka Pickpocket). It is about a pickpocket named Xiao Wu who increasingly finds himself out of step with the world around him. He holds onto his way of life in spite of major changes affecting his relationships and livelihood. The film is an interesting contemplation of people that are looking more for shelter than a future.
The key scene for me takes place in a karaoke lounge where his girlfriend tries in vain to get him to sing along with her, the two of them sit there watching the screen in silence as the instrumental track plays out. Jia's films are full of these sad and/or ironic images but for some reason this one stood out to me as one of his greatest articulations.
The synopsis on the copy that was leant to me is so incomprehensible that it's worth considering on it's own (I copied the spacing and punctuation exactly the way it appears).
The small xiao wu is a pickpocket, claiming to be is to fuck the handicraft live.He wears black frame in glasses, few speech, Don't how smile, a time is inclined on one side, tongue always crest the helps.He usually passes hand over rock wall Wall, practice the karaoke in bathhouse, accompany the singer to press the street lifelessly, with once upon a time of" colleague" now At of big a western dress for speaking a few lines thin language in speech in , he wearing big No.2, at the small town that build many new buildingsAscend to flap about.Literal translation in all it's glory.
Amazingly the subtitling of the film was all fine. I think my favorite part is "wall Wall" or "buildingsAscend to flap about."
That synopsis is amazing. "wall Wall" made me laugh out loud (in a coffee shop).
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying your blog. Thought I'd pipe in and say so.
yeah this is great. i don't always know how much I can keep up but I definitely want to see this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for piping in Jeff.
ReplyDeleteJon, if you can't find Xiao Wu, any films by Jia Zhang-ke are worth seeing. I think Still Life or Platform are usually considered his best.
In some odd way the confusion and odd poetry of the synopsis actually captures something about the film (which I loved). "To press the street lifelessly" is a genuinely great line full of loneliness and desperation. And how many of us sometimes feel that we can only speak "a few lines thin language."
ReplyDelete"To be is to fuck the handicraft live" indeed.
It will undoubtedly be hard to find. But I'll keep my eye open.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite line was:
"He wears black frame in glasses, few speech, Don't how smile, a time is inclined on one side, tongue always crest the helps."
I just thought that was a great intro to the person.
This could be a whole style of poetry, to write like this. But I bet it would be hard to fake.
I suppose "wall Wall" could also be a bold use of repetition.
ReplyDelete"time is inclined on one side" yes.
Maybe finding dvd covers in mandarin and running them through a computer translating program is the future of poetry.
Poetry written by machines would probably interest me more than most of the human poets I've suffered through.
ReplyDeleteI'll take,
"At of big a western dress for speaking a few lines"
over,
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height"
What am I going on about? I just resent all those essays I had to write and questions I had to answer. I just wanted to read the poem not talk about reading it. I wonder if my teachers would've asked me to write essays about poems written by machines?
Ramble ramble.
This film sounds great.
I definitely know teachers who would encourage you to write essays about poems written by machines. Grad school is calling you, Matthew.
ReplyDeleteI know this guy is Chinese, but suddenly the phrase "the small town that build many new buildingsAscend to flap about" has whole new meaning.
Perhaps I will conclude this post by saying, 'He wearing big No.2"
ReplyDelete