Keswick Film Club - Ash is Purest White

Synopsis

"Zhangke Jia's belter of a film is part crime epic, part woman-seeks-justice flick, part state of the nation address. It takes the staples of the gangster flick - the mobster's moll, gang rivalries, violent shoot outs - as a jumping off point for both a granular character study of a woman's resolve, and a macro portrait of China at the turn of the century where modernity is quickly outstripping tradition. Either way, it's a riveting picture driven by a fantastic performance by Zhao Tao as a wronged woman whose laser focus makes Kill Bill's The Bride look lackadaisical in comparison" - Ian Freer, Empire.

China has produced many epic movies and Zhangke Jia has been part of that for over 20 years. Here he continues in his niche, using a grand story to frame the ills of Chinese society today. Bring it on!