Suzhou River (2000)

Lou Ye’s “Suzhou River” is a harrowing tale about one man's search for lost love. It begins with an anonymous videographer (Hua Zhongkai) serving as the film’s narrator and his encounters with Meimei (Zhou Xun), the girl he desires. From there we would be introduced to the character of Mardar (Jia Hongsheng), a courier who would do anything to find Moudan (also played by Zhou Xun), his most beloved girl. We follow their story from how they met, through their parting until Mardar’s return and sighting of Meimei, who needless to say, looks exactly like Moudan. All this results to the characters’ discovery of their true love, or at least the beginning for at least one of them.

What’s unique about this film is its use of a first person perspective, that of the videographer’s (for most parts, presumably at least), achieved through a meandering camera. Highly stylized, this isn’t your ordinary moving camera going around in circles. The film employs fast cuts, as well as jump cuts to maintain the audience’s attention span and startle you when necessary. I might even go as far as saying the film echoes the visual style of Wong Kar-Wai, albeit grittier and “more realistic” with not too much eyecandy. Lou Ye also resonates with another famous auteur in the persona of Alfred Hitchcock, thematically speaking, as his film, just like “Vertigo” also deals with a man’s obsession to find a woman from his past.

The film’s title comes from the place from where it’s set. Though it’s seemingly just a love story, the film is also an embodiment of the life within that area, as expressed in the introduction by the narrator. It’s also quite noteworthy to mention that the film is set in modern day Shanghai and yet Lou Ye chose to depict that kind of deglamorized region, which I believe is becoming the trademark in the emerging film movement in Shanghai.

“Suzhou River” is honest, romantic but not over-the-top and compels you all the way. Searchers of alternative romantic films should definitely see this distinctly Asian love story.