A wild ride that effortlessly combines devilish dark humour, slapstick comedy, violence and bitter satire.
During the Japanese occupation of China, a mysterious figure dumps two prisoners in a peasant’s home in a small town. The owner is bullied into keeping the prisoners until the next New Year, at which time they will be collected.
The film was inspired by the novel Survival by You Fengwei. It was shot in black and white to mimic old-time war movies. It premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and clinched the Grand Prix but was subsequently banned in its home country.
Directed, co-written and produced by: Jiang Wen
Starring: Jiang Wen, Kagawa Teruyuki, Yuan Ding and Jiang Hongbo
Run time: 139 minutes
Classification: PG
