Patrick O'Conner, Victoria Do and Eric A. Curry, “Beijing Bicycle: The Cruel Story of Youth, City and Modernization in Contemporary China,” Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 3, no.3 (Nov. 2013). The arrangement lasts a short time until Jian finds out the girl he likes has fallen for a freestyle bicyclist. The bike exists as the one constant in the story around which the characters interact and project their perception onto it. Analysis Of The Chinese Film 'Beijing Bicycle' Analysis Of The Chinese Film 'Beijing Bicycle' 1505 Words 7 Pages. The “Chinese dream” is both real and somewhat of an illusion. The film Beijing Bicycle points to the universal relevance of contemporary Chinese lives through a faithful tale about two disenfranchised Chinese youth caught up in the many idiosyncrasies of a changing society. A large amount of emphasis is placed upon smoking cigarettes in order to look cool and fit in. After retiring from his government ambitions, he hopes to settle back down in Florida to teach history. Guei is a new migrant who has come to the city with hopes for better income. All rights reserved. The fight and its intensity mirror the interactions in Beijing between the city dwellers that were already facing a tough existence and the pressures added by the influx of people coming from the countryside. The “American dream” has often been defined in terms of the ability of the average person to pursue success, and over the years that success has been symbolized by various status symbols such as a house in the suburbs or a nice car. Against the backdrop of a society with constantly fluctuating standards, the experience proves to be worth fighting for. As a result of the plan to “let a few people get rich first,” the divides between the country and city folk and even urban poor and urban rich are constant reminders of China’s rapid economic growth over the past few decades. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Beijing Bicycle; This movie (Shiqi sui de dan che) was co-written and directed by Xiaoshuai Wang in 2000 and earned two major awards at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival. Guei (Cui Lin), a poor country boy on the outskirts of present-day Beijing, works hard to earn enough to own the bicycle he rides for his delivery job. Home | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Talk China | The Messenger | Bridging the Straits | About China | Weather, The 2nd Sino-French Film Festival to Open in May, "Life Without Principle" Leads Chinese Film Media Awards Nominations, "The Unfortunate Car" Hits Cinemas on April 1, BJIFF Reveals its Documentary Screening List, The 14th Udine Far East Film Festival to Open on 20 April. To American audiences, Beijing Bicycle may seem like a lot of pointless fights and hand-wringing over a common and easily-replaceable object. © Common Sense Media. He is soon hired by a courier company as a delivery boy. On the other side of town, Jian (Li Bin), a teenager about the same age as Guei, has a new bicycle which helps him win the affections of Xiao (Gao Yuanyuan). The ban was eventually lifted in 2004, with eight modifications to the film and a truncated title of Bicycle. The two main actors in this movie did a very convincing job; the problem is that the symbolism probably does not translate across cultures. This illustrates the complexities and tensions of surviving and negotiating one’s identity in the changing China. Eric is from Fort Myers, Florida and currently a history major at Armstrong. The story comes full circle as both boys lose the bike in an ally brawl, but not without having learned to fight for their place in society. There aren't any reviews yet. Jian hits his rival with a brick and rides off. When Jian returns home, he finds his father waiting for him at the door, along with Guei. However, he abandoned the efforts for a license, fearing that the revision process would not finish in time for the festival. Copyright © 2000-2020. See our. Carrying his battered bicycle on his shoulder, Guei walks back alone. American viewers, who are used to automobiles as the principal mode of transportation, are unlikely to feel the way that Jian or Guei feel for the bike. He served for ten years in the US Army. The film Beijing Bicycle is an illuminating account of the effects that some of the Chinese people were exposed to and encountered as China, without hesitation, ventured down a path to fuse capitalism and socialism after 1978. At their usual meeting place, Jian hands the bicycle to Guei and tells the latter that he does not need it any more. According to Elizabeth Wright of Senses of Cinema, the juxtaposition of Guei and Jian, in particular their contrasting relation to the bicycle, highlights their differences in social standing and status. However, Jian and his gang track down Guei again the next day and after long hours of negotiation, the two sides reach a pact: Guei and Jian are to share the bicycle, each entitled to the use of it on alternate days. The bikes are the brainchild of Dutch designer and artist Daan Roosegaarde, who has signed a partnership with Chinese bike-sharing company Ofo to develop the bikes in Beijing. Within the world’s general understanding, the political ramifications of China’s unprecedented growth undermine the social cost affecting its people. The divide between the country and city people in the film is indeed quite rigid as Guei discovers. He is soon hired by a courier company as a delivery boy. This suggests something about how the urban and rural Chinese ought to pursue their economic interests; in a spirit of cooperation rather than fierce cut-throat competition. He is soon hired as a messenger and receives a brand new bicycle. Directed by Xiaochuai Wang. For Guei, a newly hired courier, fresh from rural China, the bicycle guarantees his livelihood. During this period, modernization is quite a weird process in Beijing. They realize she was just a servant for a wealthy family and enjoyed trying on clothes she could never actually afford. Join now. Despite active globalization, many individuals lack an appreciable knowledge about contemporary China that could foster a deeper level of empathy. Click on a plot link to find similar books! Beijing Bicycle premiered on 17 February 2001, during the Berlin International Film Festival. He tries to escape but the gang chases him down and, after giving him a beating, forcibly re-takes the bicycle. Other characters smoke. Suggest an update to this review. Meanwhile, Da Huan, along with his gang, comes after Jian on their bikes. However, the boy immediately falls victim to the unforgiving corporate commerce that taints the city. Beijing Bicycle detailed discussion and analysis. As the gang leaves, one member stays behind to wreck Guei's bicycle. Even the poorest of poor people have access to toothpaste and insist on brushing their teeth incessantly—almost as if doing so elevates their social status and makes them appear more urban and “civilized.” Guei assimilates into city life, undergoes a transformation process learning how to deal with revolving doors and smoking cigarettes, and a rather apt distinction is embodied by the characteristics of the city poor versus the city rich. The characters Guei and Jian individually struggle to navigate this uncertain landscape. The manager of the courier company subsequently fires him, but promises Guei he can return if he recovers the bicycle. The movie’s tragic resolution ultimately turns a coming-of-age story into a cautionary tale about market forces unleashed upon a generation that lacks any means of constraint. In his eyes, lasting in his job long enough to earn the bicycle outright will benchmark his success. Sadly, a relationship never came to fruition to which Guei’s friend laments, “if I only knew she was from the country.”. Guei searches tirelessly for it throughout the entire city. “You must never get tired of riding this,” he says in awe of the sleek chrome finish and cutting edge gear controls.

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