On the Beat (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
On the Beat is a 1995 Chinese film
directed by Ning Ying
. It is the second film in Ning Ying's Beijing Trilogy, a collection of three films that follows the massive changes to Beijing
in the last decades of the twentieth century. Whereas Ning's previous film, For Fun dealt with the older generation, On the Beat is firmly focused on the story of the middle-aged. I Love Beijing, meanwhile, would follow characters belonging Beijing's younger generations. On the Beat was coproduced by Eurasia Communications, Euskal Media and the state-operated Beijing Film Studio. Some funding was also from the International Film Festival Rotterdam
's Hubert Bals Fund.
On the Beat follows a group of police officers in the Deshengmen
Precinct during the slow months of winter. The policemen, stuck in the dull winter months of Beijing, get stuck in routine, only occasionally finding excitement, as when they chase after a rabid dog.
Released in 1995, On the Beat made the rounds of most of the major international film festivals, including Toronto
, Telluride
and San Sebastian
, among others.
. Filmed in the slow months of December, January, and February the members of the PSB find they have little in the way of substantive police work. Instead they spend time (and manpower) on small incidents like the chasing of a possibly rabid dog, the arrest of a small-time con artist, and the reprimanding of a man who sells posters of a woman in a bathing suit.
Though the incidents seem small, the PSB treats each with deadly seriousness, often to comedic effect. The film culminates in the arrest and intense interrogation of a man who may have insulted a police officer. Realizing that they have no evidence, the officers bluster as they attempt to avoid losing face.
and cinema verite
films, Ning Ying cast her film primarily with non-professional actors. Most of the police officers, for example, were actual police officers with the Beijing Police, while the residents on the police officers' beats were actual residents of Beijing neighborhoods.
While essentially an ensemble piece, the film generally revolves around the character of Yang Guoli (played by police officer Li Zhanhe).
Derek Elley of Variety
for example gives the film praise, but notes that perhaps the film's "ironic humor is an acquired taste." The New York Times
meanwhile praised the films "effortless authenticity and a quiet, watchful style."
Several critics saw the film as a sly critique of the Chinese bureaucracy, a subject that was the focus of The Story of Qiu Ju
, Zhang Yimou's earlier film, and which would also be referenced several years later in Lu Xuechang's Cala, My Dog!
.
Chinese film scholar and critic Shelly Kraicer, however saw the film as a critique of China's "Coca-Colaization." She notes the film's visual hints at the changing face of Beijing, from a marooned remnant of the old city wall
to the constant construction overtaking the city's hutong
s. In so doing, Kraicer suggests, Ning Ying has created an image of a "traditional city under siege" by modernity.
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by Ning Ying
Ning Ying
Ning Ying is a female Chinese film director often considered a member of China's "Sixth Generation" filmmaker coterie, a group that also includes Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yuan and Wang Xiaoshuai. However, this is more a result of a shared subject matter than anything else, as chronologically, Ning is...
. It is the second film in Ning Ying's Beijing Trilogy, a collection of three films that follows the massive changes to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in the last decades of the twentieth century. Whereas Ning's previous film, For Fun dealt with the older generation, On the Beat is firmly focused on the story of the middle-aged. I Love Beijing, meanwhile, would follow characters belonging Beijing's younger generations. On the Beat was coproduced by Eurasia Communications, Euskal Media and the state-operated Beijing Film Studio. Some funding was also from the International Film Festival Rotterdam
International Film Festival Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
's Hubert Bals Fund.
On the Beat follows a group of police officers in the Deshengmen
Deshengmen
Deshengmen is the name of a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road....
Precinct during the slow months of winter. The policemen, stuck in the dull winter months of Beijing, get stuck in routine, only occasionally finding excitement, as when they chase after a rabid dog.
Released in 1995, On the Beat made the rounds of most of the major international film festivals, including Toronto
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, Telluride
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
and San Sebastian
San Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
, among others.
Plot
On the Beat consists mainly of a series of vignettes involving members of a local precinct in the Beijing Public Security BureauPublic Security Bureau
In the People's Republic of China, a public security bureau refers to the government offices while the smaller offices are called Police posts which are similar in concept to the Japanese Kōban system) present in each province and municipality that handles policing , public security, and...
. Filmed in the slow months of December, January, and February the members of the PSB find they have little in the way of substantive police work. Instead they spend time (and manpower) on small incidents like the chasing of a possibly rabid dog, the arrest of a small-time con artist, and the reprimanding of a man who sells posters of a woman in a bathing suit.
Though the incidents seem small, the PSB treats each with deadly seriousness, often to comedic effect. The film culminates in the arrest and intense interrogation of a man who may have insulted a police officer. Realizing that they have no evidence, the officers bluster as they attempt to avoid losing face.
Cast
Known for her style that echoes Italian NeorealismItalian neorealism
Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
and cinema verite
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
films, Ning Ying cast her film primarily with non-professional actors. Most of the police officers, for example, were actual police officers with the Beijing Police, while the residents on the police officers' beats were actual residents of Beijing neighborhoods.
While essentially an ensemble piece, the film generally revolves around the character of Yang Guoli (played by police officer Li Zhanhe).
Reception
On the Beat was well received by western critics and further cemented Ning Ying's reputation as a major talent to emerge out of China in the early to mid 1990s. As such, Ning is often considered part of the "Sixth Generation" as opposed to the earlier "Fifth Generation" to which Ning is actually closer in both in terms of age and experience.Derek Elley of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
for example gives the film praise, but notes that perhaps the film's "ironic humor is an acquired taste." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
meanwhile praised the films "effortless authenticity and a quiet, watchful style."
Several critics saw the film as a sly critique of the Chinese bureaucracy, a subject that was the focus of The Story of Qiu Ju
The Story of Qiu Ju
The Story of Qiu Ju is a 1992 Chinese comedy-drama film. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and, as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. The screenplay is an adaption of Chen Yuanbin's novella The Wan Family's Lawsuit....
, Zhang Yimou's earlier film, and which would also be referenced several years later in Lu Xuechang's Cala, My Dog!
Cala, My Dog!
Cala, My Dog! is a 2002 Chinese comedy film directed by Lu Xuechang. The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival and its Chinese release a week earlier on February 2, 2003. The film follows a blue-collar worker in Beijing as he attempts to acquire a dog license...
.
Chinese film scholar and critic Shelly Kraicer, however saw the film as a critique of China's "Coca-Colaization." She notes the film's visual hints at the changing face of Beijing, from a marooned remnant of the old city wall
Beijing city wall
The city wall of Beijing was a fortification built around 1435. It was 23.5 km long. The thickness at ground level was 20m and the top 12m. The wall was 15m high, and it had nine gates. This wall stood for nearly 530 years, but in 1965 it was removed to give way to 2nd Ring Road and the loop...
to the constant construction overtaking the city's hutong
Hutong
Hutongs are a type of narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China.In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one...
s. In so doing, Kraicer suggests, Ning Ying has created an image of a "traditional city under siege" by modernity.
Awards and nominations
- 1995 Entrevues Film Festival
- Grand Prix
- 1995 San Sebastián International Film FestivalSan Sebastián International Film FestivalThe San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
- Special Mention
- 1995 Torino International Festival of Young Cinema
- Best Film - International Feature Film Competition
- 1996 Fribourg International Film FestivalFribourg International Film FestivalThe Fribourg International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected cultural films from Asia, Africa and Latin America....
- Special Mention
External links
- On the Beat at the Chinese Movie Database