Shiqi sui de dan che (2001)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Xiaoshuai Wang

Writers:

Peggy Chiao (writer)
Hsiao-ming Hsu (writer)

Release Date:

25 April 2001 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A seventeen-year-old country boy working in Beijing as a courier has his bicycle stolen, and finds it with a schoolboy his age.

Plot Keywords:

Messenger | Beijing China | False Accusation | Iron Will | Bicycle Crash

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Lin Cui	...	Guo Liangui (as Cui Lin)
Bin Li	...	Jian
Xun Zhou	...	Qin
Yuanyuan Gao	...	Xiao
Shuang Li	...	Da Huan
Yiwei Zhao	...	Father
Yan Pang	...	Mother
Fangfei Zhou	...	Rongrong
Jian Xie	...	Manager
Yuhong Ma	...	Accountant
Lei Liu	...	Mantis
Mengnan Li	...	Qiu Sheng
Jian Li	...	Jian's Classmate
Yang Zhang	...	Jian's Classmate
Yuzhong Wang	...	Jian's Classmate

Also Known As:

Beijing Bicycle (France) (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

France | Taiwan | China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Spain:7 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Company:

Arc Light Films

Trivia:

The arcade game that Jian and his friends play is "Dance Dance Revolution".

Movie Connections:

References Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Don't believe the blurb

"Beijing Bicycle" (Chinese, 2002): This is one of the purest films I've seen all year. Don't believe the blurb written about it: two boys learn sharing through the use of one bicycle. The blurb couldn't be MORE WRONG. This story has one of the smoothest, most linear, singularly focused goals I've experienced in a film along with "The Field", which I rewatched earlier this year. There are no plot twists, no what-ifs, no "oh my god, I had no idea THAT was happening!" moments. "Beijing Bicycle" is a simple, yet symbolic film about a young man who comes to the big city, gets a job as a bicycle messenger, and things quickly go from uncomfortable, to bad, to awful, to worse it seems. "Guei" (the messenger) wasn't raised to recognize the ways of a metropolis, which tries to chew him up piece by piece. We get to "know" other characters who we believe (along with Guei) ARE who they appear to be. "Beijing Bicycle" has to be the finest expression of what I would expect to be the current set of fears by those in China who see their future as an unknown, with the "replacement model" being the U.S.A.. This story expresses the huge doubts caused by the loss of Mao and the Communist way of life. Even if it WASN'T perfect, they were familiar with it, and many of these "new world" things did not happen THEN. Those who are (literally) "buying" into the free market concepts, are losing their pride, identities, and souls. Watch for the slow, steady transitions of situations and characters. Watch for the symbols of decadence, greed, unhealthy living, improper greed, corruption, and sadness – all within a small group of teens.