News location:

Canberra Today 24°/28° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Movie review / ‘One Second’ (M)

“One Second” (M) *** and a half

AFTER someone tells never-named labour camp escapee (Zhang Yi) that the daughter, whom he hasn’t seen in six years, appears briefly in a newsreel set to play in the village of Dunhuang that very night, he stumbles his way across the dunes, occasionally running into a rambunctious orphan (Liu Haocun) who wants the newsreel for her own purposes.

That summarises the first five or six minutes of veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s darkly funny film as the pair almost wordlessly battles to possess the film canister. 

In time, they both end up at Dunhuang’s sole movie house, run by a passionate, party-loyal projectionist affectionately nicknamed “Mr Movie” (Fan Wei), who carries a large enamel tea mug that says “World’s Best Projectionist” and prides himself on sending Mao’s messages to the people. 

Set during the Cultural Revolution, there have been rumours that the Chinese government had pulled it from international competition for fear it would win awards. Even now, there are questions about whether it is in the form that director Zhang Yimou intended.

So, for Australian audiences, the best advice must surely be, judge it purely on its present creative and entertainment merits. Which are many.

Made in 2019, “One Second” tells a heart-warming story. In a village starved of cultural diversions, the message gets around that Mr Movie is going to screen “Heroic Sons and Daughters” tonight, supported by newsreel number 22. Great excitement. No matter that the people of Dunhuang have already seen it several times. And the man whom we met in the opening moments is desperate to see his daughter in the newsreel.

Then disaster strikes. There has been an accident. The film canister has been dropped; its lid has come off; the film has been dragged through mud and grime and it will have to be washed and dried to make it again fit for Mr Movie to screen. Everybody has to help.

Out of such a minor calamity, Zhang Yimou has crafted a quite delightful, entertaining, dramatic, humorous 104 minutes movie, filmed in colour that often looks like monochrome, about a community confronting a grave disappointment arising from a minor issue. 

It’s a metaphor centred around cinema’s individual and societal powers, people escaping from daily life’s doldrums and immersing themselves in tales of melodrama, intrigue, and wartime heroism.

“One Second” is at present not programmed for a long screening in Canberra. Which is regrettable, because it offers unexpected merits for the thinking filmgoer’s benefit.

At Palace Electric

 

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Music

Cunio takes top job at NZ School of Music

Immediate past head of the ANU School of Music, Kim Cunio, is to become head of school at Te Kōki, the NZ School of Music, part of the Victoria University of Wellington, reports HELEN MUSA.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews