Bliss (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Bliss is a 2006 Chinese
family drama film directed by Sheng Zhimin
and produced by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan
. The film was Sheng's first as a director, having previously served as a line producer
for Chan and Jia Zhangke
on films such as Durian Durian
and Platform.
Though primarily a mainland production, the film was financed in part by the Hong Kong-based See Movie Ltd. and was distributed by Hong Kong's Golden Network Asia.
. Lao Li (He Xingquan) is a once-divorced retired police officer, currently living with his second wife Zhang Xiu'e (Guan Jiangge). Lao Li's first wife ran off years ago, forcing him to raise his son, Jianjun alone.
Jianjun (Liao Zhong), now a grown man, has recently married Xiaohong (Wang Lan
) and works long hours as a taxi driver. A passive man, Jianjun and Xiaohong's marriage is suffering from his long hours and her resentments. She eventually begins an affair and becomes pregnant, though the father remains a mystery. Jianjun announces that the baby will be born when Xiaohong discovers that her condition was actually a false pregnancy
, and that she has actually been diagnosed with uterine cancer
.
Meanwhile, Xiu'e's son from a previous marriage, the delinquent Xiaolei (Xu Tao) has begun to run with local hoodlums, much to the consternation of his mother and stepfather. Lao Li steps in and gets Xiaolei a job on a trolley-car, where he becomes interested in the pretty coworker, Qian Xue (He Qin). Unfortunately Xiaolei seems unable to escape from his life of petty crime.
Into this drama, Lao Li receives an unexpected package, his first wife's ashes. Lao Li must now try to find a suitable burial place for the ashes, all while trying to keep his crumbling family together.
inspired Sheng to make a film "that spans from one's youth to their old age and it would be about life, youth and humanity."
Filming took place in the central Chinese city of Chongqing
, where the city's seemingly constant fog and mist initially caused delays and problems to the production. Despite these problems, the mist would become one of the film's overriding themes.
Many of these western reviews placed Sheng Zhimin's Bliss very much along the lines of other sixth generation filmmakers. In particular, the film was seen to reflect Jia Zhangke's Still Life for its realistic portrayal of modern life in China.
Bliss premiered at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival
where it won the NETPAC award, and had its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
. It also screened at the 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival
, where it picked up a best picture prize for the New Talent side-competition.
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
family drama film directed by Sheng Zhimin
Sheng Zhimin
Sheng Zhimin is a Chinese filmmaker from Beijing. Unlike other directors to emerge in recent years, Sheng has had no formal training. He instead began his career as a line producer, screenwriter, and assistant director for other filmmakers like Jia Zhangke, Fruit Chan and Zhang Yang...
and produced by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan
Fruit Chan
Fruit Chan Gor is an independent Hong Kong Second Wave screenwriter, filmmaker and producer, who is best known for his style of film reflecting the everyday life of Hong Kong people. He is well known for using amateur actors in his films...
. The film was Sheng's first as a director, having previously served as a line producer
Line producer
A line producer is the key manager during the daily operations of a motion picture production.The line producer supports the vision given by the director but does not have direct influence on the creative expression or narrative of the film....
for Chan and Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema, a group that also includes such figures as Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Yuan....
on films such as Durian Durian
Durian Durian
Durian Durian is a 2000 Hong Kong film directed by Fruit Chan. The film portrays the experiences of a young girl and her sex worker neighbour in Hong Kong.-Plot:...
and Platform.
Though primarily a mainland production, the film was financed in part by the Hong Kong-based See Movie Ltd. and was distributed by Hong Kong's Golden Network Asia.
Cast
- He Xingquan as Lao Li, a retired police officer living in Chongqing.
- Guan Jiangge as Xiu'e, Lao Li's second wife.
- Xu Tao as Xiaolei, Xiu'e's grown son from a previous marriage.
- Liao Zhong as Jianjun, Lao Li's cab-driving son from his first marriage.
- Wang LanWang LanWang Lan was a Taiwanese writer,artist and a NARC deputy.He is famous for the novel Blue and Black, which is considered as one of four major novels about anti-Japanese war.- External links :*...
as Xiaohong, Jianjun's new wife. - He Qin as Qian Xue, an out-of-towner who catches the eye of Xiaolei.
Plot
Bliss tells the story of a modern and non-traditional family living in ChongqingChongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
. Lao Li (He Xingquan) is a once-divorced retired police officer, currently living with his second wife Zhang Xiu'e (Guan Jiangge). Lao Li's first wife ran off years ago, forcing him to raise his son, Jianjun alone.
Jianjun (Liao Zhong), now a grown man, has recently married Xiaohong (Wang Lan
Wang Lan
Wang Lan was a Taiwanese writer,artist and a NARC deputy.He is famous for the novel Blue and Black, which is considered as one of four major novels about anti-Japanese war.- External links :*...
) and works long hours as a taxi driver. A passive man, Jianjun and Xiaohong's marriage is suffering from his long hours and her resentments. She eventually begins an affair and becomes pregnant, though the father remains a mystery. Jianjun announces that the baby will be born when Xiaohong discovers that her condition was actually a false pregnancy
False pregnancy
False pregnancy or hysterical pregnancy, most commonly termed pseudocyesis in humans and pseudopregnancy in other mammals, is the appearance of clinical and/or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy when the person or animal is not pregnant. Clinically, false pregnancy is most...
, and that she has actually been diagnosed with uterine cancer
Uterine cancer
The term uterine cancer may refer to any of several different types of cancer which occur in the uterus, namely:*Uterine sarcomas: sarcomas of the myometrium, or muscular layer of the uterus, are most commonly leiomyosarcomas.*Endometrial cancer:...
.
Meanwhile, Xiu'e's son from a previous marriage, the delinquent Xiaolei (Xu Tao) has begun to run with local hoodlums, much to the consternation of his mother and stepfather. Lao Li steps in and gets Xiaolei a job on a trolley-car, where he becomes interested in the pretty coworker, Qian Xue (He Qin). Unfortunately Xiaolei seems unable to escape from his life of petty crime.
Into this drama, Lao Li receives an unexpected package, his first wife's ashes. Lao Li must now try to find a suitable burial place for the ashes, all while trying to keep his crumbling family together.
Background
The story of Bliss, which spans many years, evolved from an idea Sheng Zhimin developed while searching with his father for a proper burial place for his late mother. The experience of searching various graveyards throughout BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
inspired Sheng to make a film "that spans from one's youth to their old age and it would be about life, youth and humanity."
Filming took place in the central Chinese city of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, where the city's seemingly constant fog and mist initially caused delays and problems to the production. Despite these problems, the mist would become one of the film's overriding themes.
Reception
Relatively little seen, the few critics who did manage to see the film at a film festival were kind to Sheng's debut work, seeing its depressing and misty story as a vehicle for the characters to express something broader about Chinaese society. Though depressing, these critics nevertheless saw the film as an honest portrayal of modern Chinese "struggling to get by, with terribly little, materially or spiritually." An exception was Variety critic Derek Elley, who saw the film's downbeat atmosphere as essentially a "remote intellectual exercise."Many of these western reviews placed Sheng Zhimin's Bliss very much along the lines of other sixth generation filmmakers. In particular, the film was seen to reflect Jia Zhangke's Still Life for its realistic portrayal of modern life in China.
Bliss premiered at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
where it won the NETPAC award, and had its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
2006 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 7 to September 16, 2006. Opening the festival was Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, a film that "explores the history of the Inuit people through the eyes of a father and daughter."In a press release...
. It also screened at the 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival
2007 Shanghai International Film Festival
The 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival was the 10th such festival devoted to international cinema to be held in the city of Shanghai in the People's Republic of China. It was held from June 16 to June 24, 2007...
, where it picked up a best picture prize for the New Talent side-competition.