An auspicious first feature; although relentlessly benighted, it is nevertheless beautifully filmed and well-acted.
Blind Shaft (2004)
Tomatometer
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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
Genre: Foreign Films
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... 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 characters poisoned by greed and infidelity having abandoned their families and lost any sense of dignity, the story is anything but simple. Mid-way through, the film it takes an endearing turn that changes the plotline into a true morality tale, which is followed up by a completely unexpected ending. Two con men, Song (Li Yixiang) and Tang (Wang Shuangbao), have devised a nearly flawless scam. They coerce a man into posing as their brother--explaining that it's the only way they can get him a job in the coal mine--and then they murder him. They make it look like a mining accident, and collect a hefty sum from the mine owner for their loss. Instead of sending all the money home to their school-age children, they spend much of it on prostitutes. When they choose their next victim, Yuan (Wang Baoqiang), a teenage boy trying to earn money for school, they instantly sense that something, this time around, is wrong. Writer-director-producer Li Yang has created a richly layered film with BLIND SHAFT, which was banned in China because it was made without permission from the official film bureau. [More]
Starring: Li Yixiang, Wang Shuangbao, Wang Baoqiang, An Jing
Starring: Li Yixiang, Wang Shuangbao, Wang Baoqiang, An Jing, Bao Zhenjiang
Director: Li Yang
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Reviews for Blind Shaft
A descent into the hellish depths of one of those many recently privatized coal mines under China's new flirtation with the market economy.
A disturbing morality tale that questions how far one will go to survive under such conditions.
This crafty little character piece keeps you guessing. If that wasn't enough, it also gets in some social commentary.
The staccato, noirish film is proof, however, that China has no shortage of filmmaking talent.
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.
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.
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.
The deliberately paced film, with understated performances..., is rich with ambiance, painting a memorable and lurid portrayal of China's economic boom.
Fresh, stark and consistently uncompromising, Li Yang's Blind Shaft is an exceptional Chinese film noir.
If Martin Scorsese had been born in China, Blind Shaft is the sort of movie he might have made.
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.
Engrossing because of its amazingly well-documented milieu, which German-trained writer-director Li Yang filmed on location in the northern provinces.
The end result is somewhat unsatisfying, largely because its twists aren't all that surprising and its outcome seems foreordained.
Unfolds as fast and mercilessly as the way Song and Tang approach their victims: It sideswipes us.
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