A Touch of Sin (2013)

Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.

Director:

Zhangke Jia

Writer:

Zhangke Jia (screenplay)

Stars:

Wu Jiang, Baoqiang Wang, Tao Zhao

9 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Wu Jiang	...	Dahai
Baoqiang Wang	...	Zhou San
Tao Zhao	...	Xiao Yu
Lanshan Luo	...	Xiao Hui
Jia-yi Zhang	...	Zhang Youliang
Meng Li	...	(as Vivien Li)
Lu Liu	...	(Guest appearance)
Dong Han	...	(Guest appearance)
Hongwei Wang	...	(Guest appearance)
Qiang Wang	...	(Guest appearance)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jiangcai Bai
Ke Chen
Weifen Chen
Yang Chen
Yulin Deng

Storyline

Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.

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Plot Keywords:

modern china | china | violence | injustice | dehumanization | 

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Taglines:

Crossing the line between men and beasts

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

China Japan France

Language:

Mandarin Cantonese English

Release Date:

11 December 2013 (France)

Also Known As:

A Touch of Sin

Filming Locations:

Shanxi, China

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,514, 8 November 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$91,714, 22 November 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Xstream Pictures,Office Kitano,Shanghai Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Zhangke Jia: in the third story as a patron of the brothel. He is shown walking down a hallway from behind talking on his cell phone and smoking a cigar. At the end of the shot he turns to survey the line of girls in the hallway.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2013 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Yu Tang Chun
(Shanxi Opera)
Performed by Zhang Yongai and Ren Cailing

User Reviews

A brave, but uneven film

A lone gunman, fighting for justice in a world full of corruption, intent upon killing the main culprit and not backing down until he has done so. It sounds like something out of a John Ford western, but in fact it's the first of four stories in 'A Touch Of Sin'. This Chinese movie borrows quite a few themes from the classic westerns. Male dominance, for example, and a society lacking morality, but above all: violence as the ultimate solution.

For a Chinese film maker, this is a brave movie. It paints a very bleak picture of Chinese society, by tackling issues like corruption, crime, prostitution and the exploitation of workers in enormous factories. These are very sensitive issues in modern day China, but still this movie got the green light from the authorities and wasn't banned from Chinese cinemas.

But not every brave movie is a good one. The problem with 'A Touch Of Sin' is that it consists of four independent stories which differ a good deal in quality. The first one, with the lone gunman, is the best because it is a clear, focused story. Others are sometimes difficult to understand because they are too expansive and too long.

The common feature in each of the four stories is the violence. Director Zhangke Jia shows it in a very graphic way, reminiscent of crime movies from Hong Kong or Japan. The bullet holes and blood splattering seem a bit out of place in a film appealing to an art-house audience, but at the same time it gives this movie a nice nihilistic touch.