Blood Simple

Directed by: Zhang YimouStarring: Honglei Sun, Ni Yan, Dahong Ni, Xiao Shen-Yang

Synopsis:Adapted from the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple: Wang (Dahong Ni) is an affluent noodle shop owner in a remote province. Unbeknownst to him, his wife (Ni Yan) buys a gun from travelling tradesmen. She is also having an affair with her husband’s apprentice, Li (Xiao Shen-Yang). When her husband learns of the affair from the local policeman, Zhang (Honglei Sun), Wang pays him a lot of money to kill his wife and her lover, making it look as if they have run off together...

Review:

Blood Simple was the first Coen Brothers feature, and came during a resurgence of Film Noir (coined Neo-Noir) and hard-boiled detective stories. The film was both dark and funny and had a particularly grown-up sensibility. So it seems a bit of an odd choice to be remade as a period drama by the director of House of Flying Daggers.

The film’s plot doesn’t waste any time – within the first scene, Mrs Wang (never actually named) barters with some Persian traders for a three-barrelled pistol. However, she isn’t saying why she bought it. A demonstration by the merchants of a cannon they have for sale brings the local police to investigate, thereby introducing detective Zhang to Mr Wang. It’s fascinating the the police have a wind-powered siren which wails as they gallop along! The police arrival also gives the noodle-shop cooks a chance to show off their skills in preparing fresh noodles for the troops.

The atmosphere of the film during this section is as high farce. There are a couple of young cooks who always manage to undercut any seriousness in the situations at hand.

We soon get to examine the lover’s triangle: Mr Wang bought his wife for “3 Guan and 800 yen”, only to find out that she is unable to have children. He’s been beating and abusing her every night for the past ten years. Her lover, Li, meanwhile, is Wang’s opposite – quiet and caring – but a complete coward who lives in fear of being found out. Mrs Wang has had enough of her husband’s ways but feels powerless with him, whereas she can lord it over her lover who is much more weak-willed. Or is he? Late in the film, he takes certain matters into his own hands, showing a grim determination to take control of his fate.

Then there is Zhang, whose stoic, impassive face never betrays an emotion. The only thing we know for sure about Zhang is that he’s obsessed with money. When Wang deliberately spills some coins when bribing Zhang, he is quick to stoop and pick them up, not caring what Wang thinks.

After the initial set-up and the various characters have set out their agendas, the film enters a series of scenes where people are endlessly sneaking about. There are long sequences with absolutely no dialogue as we follow certain people around the noodle shop compound in the middle of the night. It almost feels like a bedroom farce without the laugh-track.

The script by Jianquan Shi and Jing Shang sticks quite closely to the Coens’ original, and the desolate setting is a good substitute for the small Texas town of the original film. The cinematography by Xiaoding Zhou is excellent, and he has to make do with what natural light is available during the many night scenes.

The main difference between this and the original Blood Simple is the style of acting on display. The actors playing the two lovers are much more emotional than the original pairing (for the record, Jamie Getz and Frances McDormand), who underplayed the emotional layers.

Verdict:

An excellently made adaptation of The Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple, Zhang Yimou’s remake has a meticulous pace which will put off people expecting bang for their buck. Those with patience however shall be rewarded.

8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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