When Ning Hao's "No Man's Land" was finally released it was an altered version, but it still thrills.

Films like "No Man's Land" are commonplace in Hollywood, but in China, they are rare. Ning has tried to move into a genre seldom touched by Chinese directors: The Western -- with Chinese characteristics.

At the same time, "No Man's Land" is also a road thriller. It tells a story from the remote west of China, mostly on the Gobi desert in Xinjiang, where actor Xu Zheng plays a complacent lawyer who won a lawsuit due to his glib tongue, for a cruel rare animal smuggler (played by Duo Bujie). While the boss and his accomplice (played by Huang Bo) are really hunting for a rare eagle that later dramatically hidden in the lawyer's car. In this no man's land, the police are weak, the gas station extorts passers-by and everything seems to be helpless. A prostitute (played by Yu Nan), however, turns out to represent hope and something good, which is what the lawyer fights for at the end when he is not sure about anything else.

It is a dark movie, though it stars China's two top comedians Xu and Huang and director Ning is known for his comedies, it is not a movie that inspires a lot of laughter. Instead, its bloody violence makes audiences gasp in shock.

In China, if a film involves the police, the filmmaker must not only submit the script to film censors, but also submit it to the police department to censor. In general, the Chinese police have to be shown in a very positive light, as the savior and protector of the people.

"No Man's Land" is a film that breaks old rules and tests bottom lines. It also inspires philosophical reflection. In the vast desert, mankind's animal nature can override human nature, leading to killings and the law of the jungle. Ning explores the idea of how to balance bestiality and humanity.

Ning made his name by imitating Guy Ritchie in "Crazy Stone," and in this movie he has also borrowed from elements of Oliver Stone's "U Turn," the Coen brothers' "No Country for Old Men," and William Wesley's "Scarecrows."

If it weren't for censorship, the film could explore deeper. But "No Man's Land" is already a classic if you ignore the happy ending, which doesn't quite fit in with the style of the movie.

According to media reports, the film took four years to make and went through five cuts to meet demands from censors. We will never know what the first version was like, but according to a people who saw the first cut, the original ending was more cruel and dark.

If the film had been screened four years ago, people might not see Xu and Huang as mere comedians as they do, after the entertainment they provided in China's highest grossing film "Lost in Thailand." Their tough and fierce performances and the twisted characters in "No Man's Land" are just jaw-dropping.

Audiences become instantly immersed in the fast-paced, well-edited, and thought-provoking fable. The cinematography captures the raw beauty of the desert, which increases the tense and desperate atmosphere that the film tries to build. The film is unique in the history of Chinese film.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)