Spring Subway

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Spring Subway

Promotional poster for Spring Subway
Directed by Zhang Yibai
Produced by Liu Fendou
Hou Keming
Written by Liu Fendou
Starring Xu Jinglei
Geng Le
Wang Ning
Zhang Yang
Music by Zhang Yadong
Cinematography Gao Fei
Zhao Xiaoding
Editing by Liu Miaomiao
Distributed by Media Asia Entertainment Group, Ltd.
Release date(s) China:
May 22, 2002
Cannes:
May 15, 2003
Running time 93 min.
Language Mandarin Chinese
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese: 开往春天的地铁
Traditional Chinese: 開往春天的地鐵
Pinyin: Kāi wǎng chūntiān de dìtiě

Spring Subway is a 2002 Chinese romantic film directed by Zhang Yibai and starring Xu Jinglei and Geng Le. Sixth Generation director Zhang Yang also plays a role. The film represents a relatively new genre in China, the artistic "commercial film" with its international urban sensibilities, designed to appeal to young middle class Chinese.

The film was produced by China Youth Film Studio and the independent Electric Orange Entertainment (run by screenwriter, Liu Fendou). Distribution was handled by Media Asia Entertainment Group.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Jianbin and Xiaohui are a young married couple living in Beijing. Married for seven years, the couple have appeared to grown bored with one another. Xiaohui, who works at a designing firm tentatively begins a flirtatious relationship with one of her customers, a coffee-shop owner (played by director Zhang Yang). Jianbin, meanwhile, has recently been laid off, though he keeps it a secret from his wife. Instead he dresses for work every morning, and rides the Beijing metro for most of the day.

While riding, he notes a series of romances begin to blossom including one between a young man (Tu Qiang), and a shopgirl (Gao Yuanyuan), as well as a baker (Fan Wei), and a trial products saleswoman (Ke Lan). Jianbin himself begins to flirt with adultery, when he begins caring for an injured schoolteacher (Wang Ning).

[edit] Cast

  • Geng Le as Liu Jianbin, a young 20-something in Beijing, Liu has recently lost his job, though he still pretends to go to work everyday, spending much of his time riding Beijing's subway;
  • Xu Jinglei as Chen Xiaohui, Liu's wife of seven years;
  • Zhang Yang as Lao Hu, a customer at Xiaohui's design company;
  • Wang Ning as Li Chuan, an injured schoolteacher;
  • Fan Wei as Wang Yao, a baker;
  • Ke Lan as a saleswoman;
  • Gao Yuanyuan as Tian Ai, a shopgirl and the object of Da Ming's affection;
  • Tu Qiang as Da Ming, a young man who Jianbin meets on the train.

[edit] Production history

The film is Zhang Yibai's first feature film directorial effort. Until Spring Subway, Zhang had worked primarily in the music video genre and in television.[1] Spring Subway is also the first film to come out Liu Fendou's independent Beijing-based Electric Orange Entertainment.[2] The film is also Liu's first attempt at both producing and screenwriting.[2] Unlike many independent films in China, however, Spring Subway was made with official approval from the Film Bureau.[3]

The film's tagline in Chinese translates as: "After 7 years, is there still love?"

[edit] Music

The film's music was scored by Zhang Yadong and features vocals by the singer Yu Quan.[2]

[edit] Reception

Spring Subway is significant in that it represents a new style of Chinese film. Unlike the more controversial works of Sixth Generation directors Jia Zhangke or Wang Xiaoshuai, whose films often are banned by state authorities, Zhang Yibai's Spring Subway enjoyed state approval. As a result, it is, as one critic suggests, an example of the "ambitious independent Chinese film" that avoids major state-owned studios but nevertheless retains a significant amount of both international and domestic popularity.[3] In particular, Zhang's film reflects a new optimism that is a break from typical Chinese international fare,[1] while others have commented that the film is indeed more "international" in its sensibilities.[3] One critic at the Hawaii International Film Festival praised the film's universal appeal in that the film's story could have "take[n] place in any city, and surely anyone who has loved has experienced at least part of what these characters come to know."[4]

Spring Subway has found some success on the film festival circuit, including Udine,[3] Cannes,[1] Seattle[5] and others. It was also released domestically in China in May of 2002.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Elley, Derek (2003-06-16). Spring Subway Review. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
  2. ^ a b c Audios, Auteur. that's Beijing (2002-04-15). Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
  3. ^ a b c d Kraicer, Sally (April, 2002). Spring Subway. chinesecinemas.org. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
  4. ^ Unknown (2003-10-29). HIFF.org - Spring Subway. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
  5. ^ Spring Subway. Seattle International Film Festival (2003). Retrieved on 2007-09-24.

[edit] External links

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