One Second

I liked how the film works in an obsequious, fetishistic way with the newsreel, except that it then films everything with an ugly digital camera. Which also exposes how badly lit the whole thing is. Half the film takes place at night, where everyone has quadruple shadows of similar intensity as if they were being lit with someone’s high beams. In terms of content, it's sort of a juvenile declaration of love for film in general as a social event that bonds communities and influences social development. The characters pretty much pay second fiddle to this and mostly act like little kids, their motivations are very much forced, and they change their personalities hectically depending on where the mood of the film needs them to be at the time. At least the exteriors and the original setting/time period are interesting, but I still didn't find the film altogether believable, because my only experience with Zhang (Matt Damon in The Great Wall) so far suggests he's more of an overfed, over-the-hill movie whore. (12/02/2022)

The premise reminded me a bit of a scene from the legendary Italian film Cinema Paradiso, but with the added atmosphere of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This gives it a more poetic, distinctly Chinese, and somewhat melancholic feel. It can be hard to grasp at times, but the intriguing storyline keeps it engaging and digestible. (03/02/2024)