MSGID: 1:135/250@fidonet 6892d6d3
PID: C-NET AMIGA BBS 5.36b
  Yesterday I finally got a chance to watch the 2023 Crime Drama by Zhang
Yimou.  I really like Yimou's films (My favorite is still The Road Home).

  Under The Light is a Chinese crime drama starring Lei Jaiyin and Zhou
Dongyu.  Jaiyin plays a meidocre Chinese Police Offier who has had an
lackluster career, dreams of being a Policeman for the people.  Is
investigating the bombing of a city bus that looks like it was aimed at
assasinating his father who is a Deputy Mayor of their city Zheng Gang (Zhang
Guoli).

  The investigation not only uncovers past shady dealings between his father
and Corrupt Businessman Li Zhitian (Yu Hewei), but the shocking origins of his
adoption.  Even though he must face the fact that his father is corrupt, he
pushes through to see that justice is done, for the people!

  Zhang Yimou has always had a facisnation with capturing vivid color, and
experimenting with playing with light in his films.  Under The Light took this
to an extreem, with oversaturated neon themes of the Chinese urban life.  To
the point of distraction.  Filmed purely in digital, gone was any sort of
grain or matte that would lend an artistic look to his filmography.

  While I was looking forward to how a criminal procedure drama in China would
be handled, where the outcome is largly driven by politics, the muddy story
line was confusing to follow at times.  There is a point where following plot
twists become too cerebral.  It did not help that the subtibles for my print
were often times too small, and inside the picture instead of the letterboxing
and got washed out by the overuse of urban lighting to read at times, did not
help the situation.  There definately was quite a bit of propaganda thrown in
letting you know that in China, corruption and bourgeoisie lifestyle will
always be rooted out and crushed by the collective "PEOPLE".  

  The movie was not terrible, but not one of my favorite Yimou works.  If you
enjoy watching Chinese or foreign films it is a good watch, but not something
I would rave about.

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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