I remember my first bike. It was a Huffy. It didn't have a name and I believe my excitement for it only lasted one summer, but it did get me from point A to point B, and I will always remember it for those solid memories. What would be my actions if during that one summer of joy my illustrious bike were to be stolen? Would I bring about wrath and vengeance upon anyone that dared cross my path? Probably not, but it would have been fun to have an adventure like the two boys in this film.
To make it simple. Boy is trained to be a courier. Bike is given, but needs to be paid off. Bike is nearly paid for when it is stolen. Boy goes bonkers. Change story. New boy finds love with new (stolen) bike. He makes more friends. He is the rooster of the farm. Then, these two boys meet. Violence begets violence. Boy looses girl. Boy continues to loose job. Violence ensues. Cut to visionary ending about the life of a bike.
Was this a documentary? "Beijing Bicycle" kept my attention, but left me utterly confused as to who to root for. For the first hour of the film, I found myself on the original boy's side, but somehow changed midstream, but then changed back, only to find myself apathetic towards the end. This is not the consistency that I like my oatmeal. A lumpy camera gave us a sympathetic eye towards both of our characters, leaving us with nobody to love or to hate. I needed a definition with this film. I wanted to root for one character and only one character. By giving me passion for both I didn't really have any emotion towards the ending, which could have been quite dramatic.
I loved the music.
I loved the cinematography.
I loved that it promoted smoking.
I loved the characters individually, but I needed a defined bad guy and a defined good guy. Don't get me wrong, when Vader picks up the Emperor at the end of "Jedi", I felt sympathy for the bad guy but think of what the film would have been like if the Emperor kissed Vader right before he fell. That is the emotion happening with "Beijing Bicycle".
Could I watch this film again? Absolutely, but I could not sit still. I would know what was going to happen with our characters, I would know what feelings I would have for both of them by the end, and I would still find myself apathetic to any of their causes. One is strong, while the other is weak. It was like black vs. gray instead of black vs. white. I would call this film a "Study of Cinema's Gray Zone".
I will suggest this film to friends and family as a one time viewing. It was a decent outing for a film about a bicycle, and would have no problems buying this DVD for my old Huffy that is still rotting away in the garage. I think he would like it.
What are my thoughts? I give this film an "Ehhhhhhhhhggggggggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaa", as I feel weight on my shoulders as I thumb the edge of this DVD's box.
To make it simple. Boy is trained to be a courier. Bike is given, but needs to be paid off. Bike is nearly paid for when it is stolen. Boy goes bonkers. Change story. New boy finds love with new (stolen) bike. He makes more friends. He is the rooster of the farm. Then, these two boys meet. Violence begets violence. Boy looses girl. Boy continues to loose job. Violence ensues. Cut to visionary ending about the life of a bike.
Was this a documentary? "Beijing Bicycle" kept my attention, but left me utterly confused as to who to root for. For the first hour of the film, I found myself on the original boy's side, but somehow changed midstream, but then changed back, only to find myself apathetic towards the end. This is not the consistency that I like my oatmeal. A lumpy camera gave us a sympathetic eye towards both of our characters, leaving us with nobody to love or to hate. I needed a definition with this film. I wanted to root for one character and only one character. By giving me passion for both I didn't really have any emotion towards the ending, which could have been quite dramatic.
I loved the music.
I loved the cinematography.
I loved that it promoted smoking.
I loved the characters individually, but I needed a defined bad guy and a defined good guy. Don't get me wrong, when Vader picks up the Emperor at the end of "Jedi", I felt sympathy for the bad guy but think of what the film would have been like if the Emperor kissed Vader right before he fell. That is the emotion happening with "Beijing Bicycle".
Could I watch this film again? Absolutely, but I could not sit still. I would know what was going to happen with our characters, I would know what feelings I would have for both of them by the end, and I would still find myself apathetic to any of their causes. One is strong, while the other is weak. It was like black vs. gray instead of black vs. white. I would call this film a "Study of Cinema's Gray Zone".
I will suggest this film to friends and family as a one time viewing. It was a decent outing for a film about a bicycle, and would have no problems buying this DVD for my old Huffy that is still rotting away in the garage. I think he would like it.
What are my thoughts? I give this film an "Ehhhhhhhhhggggggggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaa", as I feel weight on my shoulders as I thumb the edge of this DVD's box.