7.1/10
2,752
29 user 63 critic

The World (2004)

Shijie (original title)
Not Rated | | Drama | 15 April 2005 (China)
The World Poster
An exploration on the impact of urbanization and globalization on a traditional culture.

Director:

Zhangke Jia

Writer:

Zhangke Jia

Stars:

Tao Zhao, Taishen Cheng, Jue Jing | See full cast & crew »
81
Reviews

On Disc

at Amazon

5 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 9 photos »
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Edit

Cast

Credited cast:
Tao Zhao ... Tao
Taishen Cheng Taishen Cheng ... Taisheng
Jue Jing Jue Jing ... Wei
Zhongwei Jiang Zhongwei Jiang ... Niu (as Zhong-wei Jiang)
Yiqun Huang Yiqun Huang ... Qun
Hongwei Wang Hongwei Wang ... Sanlai
Jing Dong Liang Jing Dong Liang ... Tao's ex-boyfriend
Shuai Ji Shuai Ji ... Erxiao
Wan Xiang Wan Xiang ... Youyou
Alla Shcherbakova Alla Shcherbakova ... Anna
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sanming Han ... Sanming
Juan Iu Juan Iu ... Yanqing
Xiaodong Liu Xiaodong Liu ... Karaoke singer
Xiaoshuai Wang
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

"The World" is a theme park on the outskirts of Beijing, sixteen kilometers from the Chinese capital, designed around scaled representations of the world's famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The site is seen here not from the visitors' point of view but through the eyes of a few of its staff, lonely people, communicating poorly, a bit disillusioned with life, glittering for the tourists but dull and restricted as far as they are concerned. We meet, among others, pretty young dancer Tao and Taisheng, a security guard who is fond of her but not of personal commitment... Written by Guy Bellinger

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

theme park | security guard | dancer | chinese | new york city | See All (34) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

China | Japan | France

Language:

Mandarin | Russian | English

Release Date:

15 April 2005 (China) See more »

Also Known As:

World See more »

Filming Locations:

Beijing World Park, Beijing, China
Edit

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,776, 4 July 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$63,662, 23 October 2005
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Office Kitano, Lumen Films, X Stream Pictures See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | (mainland china)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Visa d'exploitation en France : # 111851. See more »

Quotes

Tao: Anyone have a Band-Aid?
See more »

Connections

References Tokyo Story (1953) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
An excellent portrait of local citizens working in the World Theme Park in modern Beijing.
30 March 2005 | by danielri – See all my reviews

If you want to get an aesthetic view on modern China, this is an excellent vehicle. Over two hours long, some scenes are poetic and subtle with an Eastern beauty lovely to behold. English sub-titles are well done.

A big screen experience of common workers from the countryside and the artistic dance community in the big city of Beijing.

There is a lot of smoking... and cell phone use, of course - this is the new China.

Some animation sequences provide creative transitions of scenes.

Not for the adrenaline junkie addicted to violence.

Excellent portrayal of relationships. A true artist behind the camera. The acting is so natural.

The backdrop and chapters are structured around the different national landmarks at the World Theme Park in Beijing.

( 8/10 )
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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