Shower (film)

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Shower

DVD cover of Shower
Directed by Zhang Yang
Produced by Peter Loehr
Imar Film
Written by Zhang Yang
Liu Fendou
Huo Xin
Diao Yinan
Cai Xiangjun
Starring Zhu Xu
Pu Cunxin
Jiang Wu
Music by Ye Xiaogang
Cinematography Zhang Jian
Bieru
Editing by Yang Hongyu
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics (United States)
Release date(s) 14 September 1999 (Toronto International Film Festival)
6 November 1999
Running time 92 min.
Country China
Language Mandarin Chinese
Budget US$350,000
IMDb profile

Shower is an award-winning 1999 Chinese drama / comedy film directed by Zhang Yang and starring Zhu Xu, Pu Cunxin and Jiang Wu. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 1999 and won the Fipresci Prize. Though only the second directorial work by Zhang and the third production of Imar Film, Shower was selected for numerous film festivals, including San Sebastian Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival, where it received many awards.

Despite its name, Shower should really be called Bath. Written by Zhang and a team of young scriptwriters, the film revolves around a family-run bathhouse in Beijing. An aged father and his younger, mentally challenged son worked hard everyday to keep the bathhouse running for a motley group of regular customers. When his elder son, left years ago to seek fortunes in the southern city of Shenzhen, abruptly returned one day, it put the long-broken father-son ties under test again. Presented as a light-hearted comedy, Shower explores the value of family, friendship, and tradition.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

An aged father known to everyone as Old Liu (played by Zhu Xu) and his younger, mentally challenged son Liu Erming (Jiang Wu) run and live in a traditional bathhouse for men in an old district in Beijing. The bathhouse provides a variety of peripheral services, including haircut, massage, shaving, fire cupping, even old-style pedicure, to a motley group of regular customers, many of whom are retired old Beijingers. The patrons usually spend their entire day, day after day, in the bathhouse, engaging in a game of Chinese chess or cricket fighting. As such, they have formed close bonds not only with one another, but also with Old Liu, who is manager, staff, mediator in squabbles, and marriage consultant all in one. After the bathhouse closes in the evening, Old Liu and Erming go for their daily jog around the neighbourhood, after which they engage in a contest to hold their breath in water as they bathe. Even simple tasks such as cleaning up the bathhouse are tremendous fun for the duo, both of whom behave like little children at these times.

One day, Old Liu's elder son Liu Daming (Pu Cunxin), who left many years ago to seek fortunes in the southern city of Shenzhen, abruptly returns home. Now a successful businessman, Daming had received a postcard from Erming with a drawing of their father lying in bed. Thinking that his father has passed away, Daming rushed home, only to find it a misunderstanding. However, the father-son ties between Old Liu and Daming appear to be strained, and Daming plans to return to Shenzhen three days later.

When Erming follows Daming downtown to reserve a plane ticket, he became separated from his elder brother. After a futile search, Daming returns home to his distressed father, who lashes out at him for not being able to take care of his younger brother. Old Liu laments that having already lost one son (referring to Daming), he cannot afford to lose the other. The next morning, however, Erming is able to find his own way home, to the relief of everyone. Having already postponed his flight, Daming decides to stay one more night.

It rains heavily overnight. While up on the roof fixing leaks, Old Liu catches a cold and falls sick the next morning. Daming volunteers to take over the work in the bathhouse, delaying his return once more. In the next few days, Daming stays on to help in the bathhouse. He even joins in the daily evening jog with his father and Erming. One evening, after coming back from jogging, Old Liu passes away peacefully while sitting in the bath.

Erming refuses to accept the reality and insists on opening the bathhouse everyday at the usual time. On the other hand, Daming plans to bring Erming to Shenzhen to live with him, but he is worried that his wife's reaction. He decides to leave Erming in a mental hospital for a couple of weeks while he goes back to make preparations. However, Erming puts up a fight at the hospital with the attendants. Daming has no choice but to bring Erming back to the bathhouse again.

Meanwhile, the entire district is due to be demolished to make way for commercial development. Even as the crew of movers comes in to take away the furniture, Erming tries to protect the bathhouse. With water hose in hand, he sprays and drives out everyone and locks the door. Eventually, he is convinced by Daming to accept the reality. As the group of old customers gathers in the bathhouse for one last time, Erming gives his final performance in the place he so loves, singing to the tune of 'O Sole Mio.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cast

  • Zhu Xu as Old Liu, owner and manager of a traditional bathhouse in Beijing, father to Daming and Erming
  • Pu Cunxin as Liu Daming, elder son of Old Liu, left for Shenzhen many years ago
  • Jiang Wu as Liu Erming, younger and mentally challenged son of Old Liu, helper in the bathhouse

[edit] Production

Shower was shot on a budget mostly in Bejing, with additional scenes in northern Shaanxi province (near Yan'an) and Tibet. According to producer Peter Loehr, he had "to go out and beg for a cast" because of the tight budget. He was even considering hiring a real mentally challenged amateur actor for the role of Liu Erming when Jiang Wu approached him and requested to have the role. The Beijing shot took 43 days in total, with 18 to 20-hour days and one day off. The actors took naps between shoots on the beds available in the bathhouse on set. Shower wrapped up in late May of 1999.

[edit] Reception

Having wrapped up in late May of 1999, producer Peter Loehr held back the release of Shower due to poor domestic market in Mainland China. Instead, the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on 14 September, winning the Fipresci Prize. It was soon invited to many more film festivals and distribution rights were sold to 56 countries. Imar Film had recouped double of its budget of US$350,000 in advances alone. Having won international acclaim, Shower finally opened at home on 6 November.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] DVD release

A DVD featuring subtitles in English, Spanish and French was released on 12 December 2000 and distributed by Sony Pictures Classics in the United States.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Cinema of China

Actors • Directors • Films A-Z • Film chronology • Cinematographers • Festivals • Producers • Screenwriters •
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