Directed by the Zhang Ke Jia, Still Life contrasts the anything-but-still reality of a city, Fenjiie, being systematically dismantled in preparation for the Three Gorges Dam with the submerged lives of two former citizens, whose quietude in the face of actions they should have taken years previously launches new emotional ripples. The juxtaposition of these two motifs within the movie is perfectly portrayed and reveal a subtlety in Chinese culture we in the West have difficulty understanding. One, a coalminer Han Sanming comes looking for his ex-wife and daughter; the other, Shen Hong (Tao Zhao) to hunt down a husband absent from home for two years. In their interactions with the current citizens of the town they learn the meaning of loss and connection and what’s necessary to keep, and cast off, in order to continue.
A beautiful film that rewards the viewer with an understanding of the power of reflection, Still Life gets my rating of 8 out of 10.
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