One Second

One Second is a small-town period piece about a rough man obsessed with seeing a stolen newsreel. When the newsreel is stolen by a young orphan girl he goes on the chase.

The reasons are shown over time, but the thing you see right away is the importance of film in the movie's world. Townspeople are obsessed with movies, and theater owners are respected to a remarkable degree. Who knew?

The film has an interesting structure - much of the middle is devoted to saving some damaged film, which is surprisingly absorbing, but other parts are pretty dramatic. And the central relationship between the man and the orphan girl is rather remarkable as it shifts and alters in ways that make sense even when they surprise.

While I am more a fan of directory Yimou Zhang's blockbusters than of his smaller village-life movies , this is a genuinely enjoyable and affecting film that is well worth watching.

Anyone unfamiliar with the larger career arc of Yimou Zhang can be excused for underestimating this heartfelt film. If it is not a masterpiece, then it is at least a worthy example from a master. It is, of course, a takeoff on Cinema Paradiso (1988). I infer that this film is vastly truer to Cultural Revolution China than that one was to early post-WWII Italy. I think it rings true. I hope that someone who was there "in the day" will comment.

In the last couple of month, or maybe the last year I have seen maybe 10 movies about famous directors love for the cinema...of course one of China's best will do the same. Love for the cinema with a bit of family dynamic sprinkled in.

It is not as visually spectacular as other films from Zhang Yimou but it's still beautifully shot and the cinema scenes really have impact. To involve the entire village to clean up an entire reel that was dragged on the road, it was just not only very powerful chinese propaganda but also a very direct way for Yimou to show us how much he respects the film..and to present it all on the "silver" screen via back-light. Such a great couple of scenes.

Yeah, a lot of it also reminded me of communist Romania and they way they all gathered at the films to mindlessly watch anything, even newsreels, all too familiar. Not for me, but from the stories I heard.

Whist in search of a lost film roll of utmost importance, One Second takes us on a delightful trip through the desert. The plot reminds strongly of Cinema Paradiso and doesn't add anything innovative to the mix. But it holds enough clever twists and turns to engage the audience.

The movie suffers from some minor flaws but can hide them behind the beautiful cinematography. Meanwhile, its feel-good quality prevents it from living up to the subtlety and nuance of Yimuo's earlier work. And rather than a celebration of film, it almost feels as if they are actually celebrating propaganda. Furthermore, the main character keeps making funny decisions - often of staying silent - which puts him in increasingly dire trouble.

Yet, the performances are firm, the imagery is occasionally exceptional, and Yimou's direction is refined. It's better than most movies these days, but the story itself fails to reach higher ground.

After a long line of patriotic films, which won't resonate beyond China's borders, One Second was a very welcome film.

The film is about an escaped convict who wants to see his daughter in a newsreel, the reel of which becomes the focal point of the movie. Throughout the movie, the main protagonist chases an orphan girl who steals the newsreel featuring his daughter. At times absurb (reflecting the times and accompanying behavior), at others humourous, the movie is overall a warm, touching tale of how two complete strangers come together, filling a void in the other.

Zhang Yimou once again captures the beauty of the surrounding area, even if often nothing more than desert and a drab village. There wasn't a character out of place nor an actor who failed to deliver.

Highly recommend.