BEIJING BICYCLE

SYNOPSIS:
Guei (Cui Lin) comes to Beijing from his village and finds a job as a bicycle courier – lowly paid, but with the prospect of owning his silver mountain bike if things go well. Within a day of owning it, the bike is stolen, and his job is in jeopardy. Determined to find it, he begins an impossible task, in a city where bicycles are the most popular form of transport. But his perseverance pays off – although it leads to a bitter battle with the young Jian (Li Bin), who claims to have paid for it. Jian also has bigger things at stake: a girl, Xiao (Gao Yuanyuan) who rides with him from school ….The confrontation with his family escalates into a war between Guei and Jian’s friends, culminating in a dramatic and unexpected finale.

Review by Louise Keller:
We all have our own unique memories of the humble bicycle that begin from our childhood. I remember each Sunday as a child, riding my bike up the very steep hilly road in the Belgian Congo to the golf club, where my sister and I would practice while my parents played 18 holes. For us it was a social, recreational activity: a fun outing enjoying the fresh air, feeling free as birds. But bicycles have different purposes and significance, reveals Wang Xiaoshuai in his delightful and unique tribute to the bicycle. More than an important mode of transportation, the bicycle is also a culturally significant symbol and a mark of progress. Intriguing and unusual, Beijing Bicycle is a gentle and insightful glimpse into life in China using the bicycle as its focus. The bicycle is the catalyst that brings two young men together. While each has a different need, they are both nevertheless equally important. And two outstanding new talents Li Bin as Jian and Cui Lin as Guei offer sensitive and complex performances. For Jian, the bicycle represents his dream, the symbol of success and the reward promised by his father throughout his childhood. We understand and empathise with Jian's frustration, his rejection and severe disappointment. Guei's need is more a matter of survival: the bicycle is the essential and required tool to fulfill his job. His desperation is apparent, his resolve unshakable. We embark on a beguiling journey with both of them; the dramatic curve ends in a satisfying climax. I especially like the look of the film – the camera peers through the spokes of wheels and follows them through Beijing's narrow, shadowy, back alleys. As they pass, we get a sense of the people and the life they are leading. This is showcased in simple ways and we observe a maid dressing up in her employer's clothes, locals drinking water from the fountain, cleaning teeth, playing games in the square, talking, running, waiting. We feel the hubbub of the city traffic and the repetition of daily routine and effective use of music (solo flute, piano and percussion) accentuates the mood. Gently surprising, Beijing Bicycle is an enjoyable and intimate portrait of Chinese life today.