Being big fans of Zhang Yimou's work, we had long anticipated this movie. We finally saw it in the cinema, and we absolutely loved it.
Like all of Zhang Yimou's masterpieces, One Second is full of breathtaking visuals, and it impresses from the first shot on. The story of the movie plays out in a village surrounded by the Gobi Desert, and Zhang misses none of the opportunities this setting offers for astounding visuals. Set mostly during the Cultural Revolution, some elements of the film evoke Zhang's classic "To Live".
The story mainly centers around an escaped convict and a young girl he encounters, who tries to steal a film reel. We learn about the local cinema and the anticipation in which the villagers wait for new films to arrive, and we get to know the projectionist, who is called 'Mr. Movie'. After the negatives of one certain film reel are accidentally damaged, Mr. Movie decides everyone will have to work together to try to restore them. The scenes showing the cleaning of the film's negatives are lovely and very satisfying, and show as much as anything how much of an ode to cinema this film is. As stated, the convict and the young girl are the main characters and emotional core of the film. They have some comedic scenes together, especially earlier in the film, but eventually the story of these characters is touching and heartwarming.
Absolutely a recommended watch, not only for fans of Zhang Yimou, but for film fans in general.
Like all of Zhang Yimou's masterpieces, One Second is full of breathtaking visuals, and it impresses from the first shot on. The story of the movie plays out in a village surrounded by the Gobi Desert, and Zhang misses none of the opportunities this setting offers for astounding visuals. Set mostly during the Cultural Revolution, some elements of the film evoke Zhang's classic "To Live".
The story mainly centers around an escaped convict and a young girl he encounters, who tries to steal a film reel. We learn about the local cinema and the anticipation in which the villagers wait for new films to arrive, and we get to know the projectionist, who is called 'Mr. Movie'. After the negatives of one certain film reel are accidentally damaged, Mr. Movie decides everyone will have to work together to try to restore them. The scenes showing the cleaning of the film's negatives are lovely and very satisfying, and show as much as anything how much of an ode to cinema this film is. As stated, the convict and the young girl are the main characters and emotional core of the film. They have some comedic scenes together, especially earlier in the film, but eventually the story of these characters is touching and heartwarming.
Absolutely a recommended watch, not only for fans of Zhang Yimou, but for film fans in general.