Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Story of Qiu Ju
Think about the presentation of Qiu Ju and Meizi in the film. In one paragraph, discuss how both of these women are represented cinematically. In your next paragraph discuss how the countryside and teh city are represented cinematically. In your last paragraph, tell me what you learned and what you liked best about the film. Include also any films or filmmakers you would compare it to. I will give extra credit to anyone who watches another film of a fifth generation director and writes one paragraph on their film of choice.
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In the film The Story of Qiu Ju Zhang Yimou tries to capture the life of these two seemingly ordinary individuals that live in the rural country side of modern China. Although maybe the scenario is a little far fetched and exaggerated, the people themselves are not extremely un-ordinary in any way (aside maybe from Qiu Ju’s determined stubbornness to get an apology). Zhang Yimou tries to show the changes that were happening in modern China by Juxtaposing the sisters Qiu Ju and Meizi as they travel from their town system of law all the way up to the city courts just to get an apology from the town Chief in which they live in. Qiu Ju and Meizi are both represented as outsiders cinematically. During pretty much every scene whilst they are in Teh City, the camera focuses on them from a distance, singling them out amongst the crowd of individuals flocking the streets. From their costume design of strangely wrapped garments and worn clothing we can easily pick up the fact that they don’t belong in this area, this is not the life they are used to. They are undermined by the sheer number of individuals who live in that city, pointing to the fact they are insignificant among the populous of the city, shown by having them filmed from long shots and medium long-shots. More specifically Qiu Ju has cinematic elements shown that represent her as being, while stubborn, very determined to give her husband justice. The editing together of previously seen shots as she makes her way back to the city for another try to get justice, we see that Qiu Ju is very determined to sit through the repetitive and long process of repeatedly going back from her town to the city, further shown by repeatedly playing the one song of the film, to remind the viewer of how determined she is going through the same thing over and over again, just to get an apology. With her sister Meizi always going along with her sister, and being close to Qiu Ju in the frame at all times gives us the feeling that she is not just dedicated to her sister’s cause but also is very dedicated to her sister herself.
ReplyDeleteThe countryside and city are very juxtaposed through the use of cinematography. The countryside is generally open framed with very little diegetic sound, seeming very quiet and peaceful. It is also the only place in which the director shows us an inside of a home, and this choice makes the countryside seem more peaceful and well, Homey, and hospitable than the city is, the exact opposite of the countryside. The frame in the city is always generally long and yet so tightly packed with people or buildings that it seems chaotic and congested to the viewer, not giving off a feel of that same hospitality that the countryside gave to the viewer. Also generally we still don’t see anyone else from the city in close ups or medium shots, just Qiu Ju and Meizi, making the rest of the inhabitants of the city seem aloof or not as “real” as Qiu Ju, further separating the city life to the life in the countryside.
What I liked best about the film was how Zhang Yimou creatively filmed the last sequences of the film in which Qiu Ju has gone into labor and is needed to be rushed to the hospital. After being in the center of the frame, in the center of attention for the entire film, during the scene where you think would be the most high paced moment and all about her, he chooses to film from a long distance away, to the point where you can’t see Qiu Ju at all, until it cuts to a shot of her sleeping with her child, making the viewers know that everything that happened went alright. The use of having no non-diegetic sound, barely any diegetic sound, and not including Qiu Ju in the frame at all during this sequence made this part of the film very unexpected and that is why it is probably the part of the film that i liked the most and I learned that you don’t have to do the obvious when trying to portray a certain action in a film, there are ways to film that can surprise the viewer with something they never would have expected to see, like that sequence from The Story of Qiu Ju.
Qiu Ju and Meizi are represented as outcasts throughout the film, especially when they enter the city. Being from the country, they have different customs and ways of living than the city-folk do. For example, their way of dress sets them apart. The people from the city are much more fashionable and keep up with the trends better than the people living in rural areas. Qiu Ju and Meizi are dressed in old clothing and can be spotted as foreigners immediately. They are very quickly taken advantage of when the bike-taxi driver over charges them for the ride, because they dont know better and can be easily taken advantage of. These two women are vulnerable and weak in the city, making them easy targets. Eventually, this forces the women to buy new clothing as an attempt to fit in, or just become an equal. The use of costume design is key to portraying the women in The Story of Qiu Ju.
ReplyDeleteThe countryside and the city are represented differently in the film. The countryside consists of a lot of wide shots, not as much sound is audible and it focuses mostly on that land, rather than the people who live there. The shots of the city are always very closed. The frame is filled with bustling people, creating a sense of chaos and suffocation. The diegetic sound is very loud and fills the ears of the audience. The shots of the city focus more on the people, rather than the architecture and environment, etc.
I very much enjoyed this film. Although, it was not my favorite of the Chinese films that we watched. The portrayal of Qiu Ju's character was very inspiring. Although the cinematography and the other characters kept putting her down, she had the strength to overcome everything. Her strength and confidence as a character is inspiring to the audience and gives people a sense of hope. I very much admired Qiu Ju's character, making the film enjoyable and opening my eyes to the struggle of Chinese women, or even just Chinese people, during that time.