Movie: Still Life (2006, released in the US 2020)

I found this movie as I scrolled through the offerings on Laemmle’s website at the beginning of October. I saw a familiar face on the poster, and after some quick research discovered it was the same director of Ash is Purest White, and the familiar face was that of the lead actress from that movie. I knew immediately that I had to watch this film and I invited Dante who I saw AIPW with.

The movie opens with a slow camera moving along and looking into the faces of the passengers on a river boat at the end of this long pan, we are introduced to the main character. For the first 30 – 45 minutes, Sanming gets into situations that make him seem like a pushover of a guy, but eventually you get the sense that he knows when and how to fight his own battles. He traveled from one part of China to Fengjie County to search for his ex-wife and daughter. 

A few acts into the movie, we meet the actress’ character, who has also travelled from one place to Fengjie County. but she is in search of her husband. 

I remember reading about this director after I watched AIPW and I remembered that he used his art to shine a light on what is happening in China. In this film, looming over all the characters and blocking the sunlight from the story is the backdrop of the flooding of this area and the ongoing eviction of its residents and demolition of their homes to make the area a more enticing tourist location. 

At a certain point, the two main characters’ searches had proven fruitful, but not completely fulfilling, then the movie just stopped. Roll credits.

I get a sense that the director was trying to convey a sense of the unrequited life of the people from Fengjie County. How these two emigrants from another place landed there and immediately became overcome with the oppression of inevitable homelessness and the hopelessness of the situation. And all for what?

And then there were random speculative events that had nothing to do with the story, but added to the film another heaping spoonful of something to think about!

I enjoyed the film thoroughly. The acting was superb. The locations and landscaping were haunting and honest.

I streamed this during the pandemic, when Laemmle's had streaming options, 4/25/2021.

Photo by nana_yu