20/23
The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together
Line of Events
Released from prison, Lang returns to his hometown in northwest China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with eliminating stray dogs ahead of the 2008 Olympics, he strikes up a relationship with a black street dog. Eddie Peng [the protagonist] formed such a strong bond with Xin, the dog featured in the film, that he adopted him after filming wrapped.
(Eddie Peng) returned to his hometown after a prison sentence
We learn a little more about the reasons for this and his estranged relationship with his zookeeper father as the story unfolds, as well as discovering that he was once one of the most famous citizens of the place, being in a popular band. With the Beijing Olympics (2008) approaching, there is a great emphasis for the government on improving the place – and this signals “improvements” for his home on the edge of the Gobi Desert. Much of it has already been earmarked for demolition, and with most of the heart (and soul) of the place removed, the authorities turn their attention to the serious problem of hundreds of wild dogs roaming the land, potentially spreading rabies.
It’s predictable in stages, but it’s really Peng’s largely dialogue-free effort, set against a backdrop of relentless winds, dust and trains rumbling through the increasingly lifeless city that gives it some potency
There’s one particularly skinny black one that’s worth 1,000 yuan if it can be captured, and it’s the target of the motorcycling “Lang.” The thing is, this mutt is no scoundrel and will soon be chasing (and biting) more. A particularly embarrassing bite sees them both confined to their home in quarantine, and it’s here that bonds begin to form, and we also realise the extent of the hostility felt by some towards this man. With the bulldozers never far away, his ailing father’s zoo no longer able to care for its tenants, and the vengeful butcher “Who?” (Hu Xiaoguang) and his henchmen out for revenge, we begin the story of this newfound friendship that is quite engaging.
Be warned, not much happens – but I enjoyed it
It’s not so much that the city is being cleaned up for the Olympics, although that’s clearly on director Hu Guan’s mind, but why would a city ever be here in this inhospitable place in the first place? It’s bleak and forlorn, a concrete oasis in the middle of nowhere, and this setting works well, as the man himself seems lonely, detached and also emotionally and physically rootless. It’s a slow watch, but not one that drags on for two hours, and it nicely sums up an existence of mundanity, lack of opportunity and a longing for a real sense of freedom.
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