Blind Shaft
Encyclopedia
Blind Shaft is a 2003
film
about a pair of brutal con artists operating in the illegal coal mines of present-day northern China
. The film was written and directed
by Li Yang
(李杨), and is based on Chinese writer
Liu Qingbang's short novel Shen Mu (Sacred Wood).
and Shanxi
provinces of northern China. Li and his crew were harassed and threatened during the filming.
.
noted how "directors are eager to comment on the rapid changes in Chinese society. But films such as Li Yang's Blind Shaft (a bleak, compelling picture about life in China's illegal coal mines)... were not shown to local audiences even though they had been acclaimed abroad."
The director has stated that although he is not sure exactly why the film was banned in China, he believes the film's content has "no political stigma" attached to it, noting that the novel received China's highest literary award, the Lao She Literary Prize.
Discussing the film's themes, Li emphasizes the universal, human elements:
Song Jinming (played by Li Yixiang
) and Tang Zhaoyang (Wang Shuangbao) are professional con artists, running an intricate scam they have perfected through repeated practice. They find a naive young man looking for work, and convince him that they have arranged three lucrative coal mining jobs for themselves and a relative. The relative has not arrived in time, leaving a gap which they generously offer to the victim, on the condition that he pretend to be the missing relative. After a few days of working in the mine, they murder the victim, and by making the murder look like an accident, they use his death to extort compensation money from the mine's management.
After introducing the scam, the film follows the pair as they repeat it on a new victim, sixteen-year-old Yuan Fengming (played by Wang Baoqiang
). Tensions arise as Song begins to have reservations, touched by the victim's youth and innocence and his uncanny resemblance to their first victim of the film, while Tang remains focused on making money for himself and his own family.
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
about a pair of brutal con artists operating in the illegal coal mines of present-day northern China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
. The film was written and directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Li Yang
Li Yang (director)
Li Yang is a Chinese writer-director. Though often grouped with the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, he is in fact closer in age to the Fifth Generation and in interviews has denied membership with either group, claiming that such labels are only artificial differentiations.Born...
(李杨), and is based on Chinese writer
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
Liu Qingbang's short novel Shen Mu (Sacred Wood).
Production history
Most of the filming took place 700 meters underground on the border between the HebeiHebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
and Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
provinces of northern China. Li and his crew were harassed and threatened during the filming.
Reception
Blind Shaft has won at least twelve awards, including the "Silver Bear" award at 2003 Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
.
Ban in China
Blind Shaft has not been approved for release in China. The EconomistThe Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
noted how "directors are eager to comment on the rapid changes in Chinese society. But films such as Li Yang's Blind Shaft (a bleak, compelling picture about life in China's illegal coal mines)... were not shown to local audiences even though they had been acclaimed abroad."
The director has stated that although he is not sure exactly why the film was banned in China, he believes the film's content has "no political stigma" attached to it, noting that the novel received China's highest literary award, the Lao She Literary Prize.
Discussing the film's themes, Li emphasizes the universal, human elements:
Plot
Most coal mines in China are worked by migrant workers who are forced to endure back-breaking, dangerous work in order to send money home. Some of them have additional schemes of their own.Song Jinming (played by Li Yixiang
Li Yixiang
Li Yixiang , also known as Li Qiang, is a Chinese actor. He appeared in movies such as Ji Quan Bu Ning, Crazy Lottery. In 2002, he starred as one of the two murderous con men in director Li Yang's Blind Shaft, opposite Wang Baoqiang as his naive would-be victim...
) and Tang Zhaoyang (Wang Shuangbao) are professional con artists, running an intricate scam they have perfected through repeated practice. They find a naive young man looking for work, and convince him that they have arranged three lucrative coal mining jobs for themselves and a relative. The relative has not arrived in time, leaving a gap which they generously offer to the victim, on the condition that he pretend to be the missing relative. After a few days of working in the mine, they murder the victim, and by making the murder look like an accident, they use his death to extort compensation money from the mine's management.
After introducing the scam, the film follows the pair as they repeat it on a new victim, sixteen-year-old Yuan Fengming (played by Wang Baoqiang
Wang Baoqiang
Wang Baoqiang is a Chinese actor. His debut role was that of Yuan Fengming in the movie Blind Shaft, for which he shared the Best New Performer prize at the 2003 Golden Horse Awards with Megan Tzengwon...
). Tensions arise as Song begins to have reservations, touched by the victim's youth and innocence and his uncanny resemblance to their first victim of the film, while Tang remains focused on making money for himself and his own family.
External links
- A film review
- Another film review
- A BBC report of a real-life equivalent in 2000
- Recent reforms (official Chinese media, 2006)