Reviews: DVD

The Departed

Directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon

There's no way a Chinese filmgoer can enjoy this remake without thinking of Infernal Affairs. As a matter of fact, many cannot accept Scorsese's achievement simply because they cannot walk out of the shadow of the Hong Kong original, which is hailed as a modern-day classic, and judge the Oscar-nominee on its own terms.

It is surprising that Scorsese could film the same story and turn it into a totally different work so different that comparison does not do it justice. While the original is polished and cosmopolitan, the American remake is gritty and unrelenting. It is a throwback to the golden days of Scorsese's gang crime epics, such as Good Fellas.

The casting of DiCaprio in the role of the good cop is a surprise and goes against the suave Tony Leung image in the original. By adding background to the character, it gains in richness and affords the actor a rare chance to play out both the best and worst in his inner worlds.

Besides unfamiliarity with Scorsese's style, the main reason Chinese cinephiles do not warm up to this version is the terrible translation for the disk available now, which fails to convey even a fraction of the dynamics of the drama.

Raymond Zhou

Getting Home (Luoye Guigen)

Directed by Zhang Yang, starring Zhao Benshan

This film is based on an unusual real happening. In 2005 an old migrant worker carried the body of his dead co-worker for more than 600 kilometers to their home town. It is amazing how well Zhang Yang has adapted the sensitive subject into a tragic comedy, involving quite a few leading film stars.

Farmer-turned comedian Zhao Benshan is brilliant in the lead role a cunning farmer who persists with a promise despite great hardships. At times he appears like Charlie Chaplin, but with a down-to-earth humor unique to Chinese farmers.

Set against a gorgeous landscape, the movie presents many contrasting characters revealing different stratas of society.

Zhao's long-time acting partner Song Dandan excels among the cast as a proud garbage collector who sells her own blood to pay for her son through college.

Despite some obvious geographical mistakes, the movie is both funny and sad and is a rare work capturing the genuine grassroots lives of Chinese people.

Liu Jun

(China Daily 02/13/2007 page20)