Platform (2000)

A theatre troupe from rural Fenyang struggles under the decline of communism and rise of popular culture in China in the 1980s.

Director:

Zhangke Jia

Writer:

Zhangke Jia

Stars:

Hongwei Wang, Tao Zhao, Jing Dong Liang

8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Hongwei Wang	...	Minliang
Tao Zhao	...	Ruijuan
Jing Dong Liang	...	Chang Jun
Tian-yi Yang	...	Zhong Pin
Bo Wang	...	Yao Eryong
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sanming Han	...	Sanming

Storyline

Set in Fenyang, Shanxi Province, the film focuses on a group of amateur theatre troupe performers whose fate mirrors that of the general population in China as massive socio-economic changes sweep across the mainland. The film commences in 1979 with the troupe performing numbers idolizing Mao Zedong, ending in the '80s when the shows reflect the strong Western influences pervading China, covering a decade in which China saw tremendous changes.

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Plot Keywords:

contemplative cinema | 1980s | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong China Japan France

Language:

Mandarin Shanxi

Release Date:

29 August 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Platform

Filming Locations:

Fenyang, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artcam International, Bandai Entertainment Inc., Hu Tong Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min 193 min 185 min (Tokyo FILMeX 2000)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song 'Genghis Khan' by George Lam is a cover of the German European Song Contest 1979 Entry 'Dschinghis Khan'.

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Alternate Versions

The Berlin film festival version (150 minutes) was shortened compared to the Venice film festival version (over 3 hours).

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Connections

Features Awaara (1951)

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Soundtracks

Huoche xiangzhe shaoshan pao (Train ran toward the Shaoshan)
Written by 'Zhang Qiusheng'

User Reviews

brilliant chronicle of two decades of economic liberalization

Platform ("Stage" might be a better translation)shows us the lives of a troupe of actors as China went from Maoism to markets, from 1980 to the 1990s. The treatment is sardonic and distant; we rarely see anyone in a closeup, and the point of view is as critical of liberalization (embodied in bad rock and go-go dancing) as it is of the cult of Mao (performed in the hilarious socialist-patriotic opera at the beginning of the movie). As Fassbinder said of the movies of Douglas Sirk, material objects--a brick wall, a pile of boards, a marketful of cheap clothing, bowls of noodles, embroidered slipcovers, copies of bellbottom pants, a truck, etc.--are at the center of the mise en scene, appropriately so, since the story is indeed about material changes. In fact the movie bears a lot of resemblance to Fassbinder's Marriage of Maria Braun, as both trace growing prosperity, consumerism, and personal alienation through a sequence of rooms, houses, relationships, and home furnishings. Provincial China moves from dirt, scarcity, and collectivism to a modest supply of consumer goods and more individual freedom/insecurity. This historical movement is intertwined with the characters' aging from their teens to middle age. There is no appreciable increase in human joy and happiness, nor a marked decrease either. This cold, distant treatment will not please some viewers.