Blind Shaft (2004)
94 %
Reviews Counted: 35 Fresh: 33 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.8/10
Consensus:
A taut, biting critique on the new economic conditions in China.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Synopsis: With a suspenseful plotline that keeps viewers glued to the screen awaiting each new development in this harsh tale of miners and murder in northern China, BLIND SHAFT depicts desperate men who will do anything for money. Controversial in its commentary on China's social problems, with... [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Li Yixiang, Wang Shuangbao, Wang Baoqiang, An Jing, Bao Zhenjiang
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Reviews
An auspicious first feature; although relentlessly benighted, it is nevertheless beautifully filmed and well-acted.
Comment
03/01/07
A descent into the hellish depths of one of those many recently privatized coal mines under China's new flirtation with the market economy.
02/07/07
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06/24/06
A disturbing morality tale that questions how far one will go to survive under such conditions.
05/01/04
This crafty little character piece keeps you guessing. If that wasn't enough, it also gets in some social commentary.
04/30/04
The staccato, noirish film is proof, however, that China has no shortage of filmmaking talent.
04/30/04
Depicts a way of life in China that I have no way of verifying but that I have to assume is relatively accurate. Either way, it's a decent film, not great but good enough.
04/29/04
The disparity between our mental rhythms and the script's gets in the way of ingesting what Blind Shaft has to say about unchecked opportunism.
04/17/04
Weaves a tiny and compelling story, then manages to fix it within a larger tapestry of a culture bracing itself in a rush toward greed and prosperity.
04/14/04
The deliberately paced film, with understated performances..., is rich with ambiance, painting a memorable and lurid portrayal of China's economic boom.
04/06/04
Fresh, stark and consistently uncompromising, Li Yang's Blind Shaft is an exceptional Chinese film noir.
03/26/04
If Martin Scorsese had been born in China, Blind Shaft is the sort of movie he might have made.
03/25/04
While the lack of a musical track, energizing editing and visual variety makes Blind Shaft tedious viewing at times, the story is strong enough to sustain interest.
03/25/04
Top Critic
Engrossing because of its amazingly well-documented milieu, which German-trained writer-director Li Yang filmed on location in the northern provinces.
03/25/04
Top Critic
The end result is somewhat unsatisfying, largely because its twists aren't all that surprising and its outcome seems foreordained.
03/19/04
Top Critic
Unfolds as fast and mercilessly as the way Song and Tang approach their victims: It sideswipes us.
03/18/04
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