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Shijie

  • 20042004
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Shijie (2004)
Drama
An exploration on the impact of urbanization and globalization on a traditional culture.An exploration on the impact of urbanization and globalization on a traditional culture.An exploration on the impact of urbanization and globalization on a traditional culture.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Zhangke Jia
  • Writer
    • Zhangke Jia
  • Stars
    • Tao Zhao
    • Taishen Cheng
    • Jue Jing
Top credits
  • Director
    • Zhangke Jia
  • Writer
    • Zhangke Jia
  • Stars
    • Tao Zhao
    • Taishen Cheng
    • Jue Jing
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 34User reviews
    • 65Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 11 nominations

    Photos10

    Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)
    Tao Zhao in Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)
    Tao Zhao in Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)
    Shijie (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tao Zhao
    Tao Zhao
    • Taoas Tao
    Taishen Cheng
    • Taishengas Taisheng
    Jue Jing
    • Weias Wei
    Zhongwei Jiang
    • Niuas Niu
    Yiqun Huang
    • Qunas Qun
    Hongwei Wang
    • Sanlaias Sanlai
    Jing Dong Liang
    • Tao's ex-boyfriendas Tao's ex-boyfriend
    Shuai Ji
    • Erxiaoas Erxiao
    Wan Xiang
    • Youyouas Youyou
    Alla Shcherbakova
    • Annaas Anna
    Sanming Han
    Sanming Han
    • Sanmingas Sanming
    Juan Iu
    • Yanqingas Yanqing
    Xiaodong Liu
    • Karaoke singeras Karaoke singer
    Xiaoshuai Wang
    Xiaoshuai Wang
    • Director
      • Zhangke Jia
    • Writer
      • Zhangke Jia
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit
    "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... —Guy Bellinger
    theme parksecurity guarddancerchinesenew york city29 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Visa d'exploitation en France : # 111851.
    • Quotes

      Taisheng: Are we dead?

      Tao: No, we have only just begun.

    • Connections
      References Roman Holiday (1953)

    User reviews34

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    On longing and isolation
    "See the world without leaving Beijing."

    Maybe in America a theme park based on recreating various monuments from around the world would be seen as representing a mix of consumerism and cultural arrogance. In the real-life Beijing World Park that we see in this film, it seems to signal modernization, but at the same time, isolation from the world, and a certain falseness. That falseness can be seen in several other things - faking politeness in awkward social situations, the cheesy tourist photos in front of the model of the Leaning Tower, and believing in commitment and love with another person (the relationships in the film are all strained). Even the choreographed, glitzy dance routines might be seen in a different light. The characters are for the most part earnest and humble, but quietly give off a feeling of longing and desire for something more (maybe the desire to have the ability to break free and see the real world?), and I loved how director Jia Zhangke added the graphic art in fantasy sequences to help emphasize that. The visuals throughout the film are strong as well, but what I was impressed by most was the acting. So many of these scenes truly feel real. The one where the elders accept an insurance payout for their son's death is simply extraordinary, and immensely touching. Overall though, the film was a little slow and sedate for my taste (especially for its length), so it was a near miss for me, but fans of realism will probably like it more.
    helpful•3
    0
    • gbill-74877
    • Dec 5, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 18, 2005 (Canada)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Japan
      • France
    • Languages
      • Mandarin
      • Russian
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The World
    • Filming locations
      • Beijing World Park, Beijing, China
    • Production companies
      • Office Kitano
      • Lumen Films
      • X Stream Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $64,123
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,390
      • Jul 3, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $246,556
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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