A Touch of Sin (2014) Review

A Touch of Sin

Director: Jia Zhangke

Stars: Wu Jiang, Tao Zhao, Lanshan Luo

Jia Zhangke’s latest film has finally seen a UK release roughly a year after its Cannes victory for best screenplay. After a long wait fuelling anticipation furthered by the buzz surrounding the Chinese director, it is fair to say that the payoff is more than satisfactory.

A Touch of Sin presents four separate narrative strands set in various provinces of modern day China, each unified by dealing with a violent struggle of sorts. Wu Jiang gives a fantastic performance as ‘Dahai’ the angry miner who feels forced to confront the corruption in his village. Lanshan Luo is equally intriguing as the downtrodden migrant worker struggling to make ends meet amongst China’s cutthroat world of neo-capitalism. But it is regular Jia collaborator Tao Zhao whose performance as the abused receptionist is particularly powerful, creating scenes of bloody retribution that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tarantino film. Jia Zhangke’s script and shooting perfectly uses violence as a cunning narrative tool, keeping audiences interested through an overbearing atmosphere of hatred and anxiety, culminating in visceral scenes of violence. We are given a vivid yet unflinching image of the lives of everyday Chinese citizens who are swallowed up by the country’s rapidly expanding economy. Jia Zhangke’s camera captures fantastic landscapes that emphasise the fear and isolation each character experiences, despite China’s staggering population density.

The fact that the film’s characters are derived from real news stories in recent Chinese history emphasises Jia’s message - scrutinising a nation supposedly experiencing a period of prosperity. The director has put a mirror in front of his own country, giving global audiences an image of China that many would have never considered.

It could be argued that such a message gets a little muddled at times through the film’s division of narratives. But the subtlety of its national statement and use of compelling performances ensure that those who watch A Touch of Sin will stand up and listen to what Jia Zhangke has to say. This is a director that promises an exciting future for Chinese cinema. So despite a somewhat unfamiliar setting, the film resonates with many of us that can relate to exploited individuals driven to extremes. 

RATING: 4/5

By Tom Boucher