Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

gifnon I just saw this at the Pan African Film Festival where it was curated in conjunction with Visual Communications in a cross-cultural viewing. Bravo for that foresight.And bravo for selecting BLIND SHAFT. Is it a masterpiece? No. What it is is a very solid piece of film-making. In basketball terms, it isn't Magic Johnson, it's James Worthy.Rather than go into the plot, which everyone seems wont to do on these boards, I think it's much more helpful to talk about films in terms of their elements. Plot you can get anywhere, such as Ebert.The story is a simple morality tale. Nuff said. What's standout about this movie is the ACTING - some of the best, particularly by the youngster that plays the young boy. He is super. The two principles and extended cast are solid as well.Which points toward director Li Yang who flexes assured muscles throughout. Nothing fancy - no super montages or MTV fancy shmancy technique. In fact, the lighting is uniformly flat throughout, with a decidedly blue cast to connote the frigid brisk air. That's it.It's also marked by the absence of a soundtrack.BLIND SHAFT is a return to film-making of a Bressonian order, but with actors, not "models" as Bresson called them. It is a simple tale, but told in such a straight-ahead honest manner, it stands in stark contrast to the contrived machinations of the Hollywood puke machine that spews out "packages" like clockwork.See this movie if you want bare-knuckle, honest film-making. Skip it if you want Brett Ratner window dressing from Hollywood - it's not for you then.

Ruby Liang (ruby_fff) A bold feature from writer-director Li Yang (also producer, film editor and focus puller) who is not afraid to expose the every man for himself corruption and swindling situations of China's mining workers conditions. Seems like a sad story yet its plot progression is as taut a thriller and chilling as its straightforward dauntless depiction of the ugly, the callous and the innocent. Amorality and moral strength is at play here - call it political concerns. There is no shyness to the telling of the story like it is. There is no fear that this film may not be for everyone (NFE) and that doses of entertainment/merriment may not be enough for Hollywood standard. This is a very good film in spite of all the odds. Script was written with dramatic turns akin to basics of human nature, be it circumstantial greed, abandoned pleasure, filial attachment, or unabashed dreams. Lots of respect for all involved in the production of this film - not an easy one at that. Going deep down into the mines and photographing in utter pitch darkness is one tough challenge. Applause to the actors, the crew, all the assistance in the realization of this no ordinary film effort, of a seemingly ordinary life of coal mine workers, family members, and the management. This film has such strength and poignancy that it felt like the result of a veteran filmmaker rather than a debut effort. Past films with coal mine workers theme: John Sayles' "Matewan" (1987) with Chris Cooper and co.; Richard Harris in Martin Ritt's "The Molly Maguires" (1970); a more modern day story with Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor in Mark Herman's "Brassed Off" (1996). Li Yang's "Blind Shaft" aka "Mang Jing" is by far an every-man account of how dark the situation can be, or is. The film is in Mandarin with well-translated English subtitles by Jonathan Noble. The fascinating study of human nature is fully embraced in the storytelling and the convincing performances of the three central characters: Qiang Li and Shuangbao Wang as the ugly and callous pair of Song and Tang, and Baoqiang Wang as the innocent teenage boy Yuan. It is a worthwhile 92 mins. Thanks to Kino International for distributing this rare film, jointly produced by China, Germany and Hong Kong. Other distributed foreign gems: w-d Im Kwon-Taek's "Chihwaseon" aka "Painted Fire" (Korean 2002); w-d Jeong Jae-eun's "Take Care of My Cat" (Korean 2001); w-d Michael Haneke's "Code Unknown" (French 2000, with Juliette Binoche); w-d Wong Kar-Wai's "Happy Together" (Cantonese 1997); w-d Julie Dash's "Daughters of the Dust" (1991).

alexduffy2000 "Blind Shaft" is a good/great film about two con men. One of the con men is more vicious than the other, and has lost all feelings for other human beings. The other less-vicious con man still has some pangs of conscience, but both will do whatever it takes to survive.This is like a small "Goodfellas" in that the two crooks, and the mine bosses they work for, are corrupt, and have no qualms about criminally exploited those around them. They live in a world of crime, and act accordingly. The Chinese street scenes ring with authenticity, no Westerners are present, this the China that hundreds of millions of Chinese see every day - poor, impoverished, corrupt, desperate, where the Communist party has long since abandoned Communism, and Socialism is just an empty slogan.Nevertheless, there are good, compassionate people in this cynical environment. This film is really about one man's "redemption", the less negative of the two con man, and his realization that his destructive path in life is wrong. I'm writing cryptically because I don't want to spoil what the con is, I recommend this film highly, and I think it will play just as well on the small screen as on the large. See it on the big screen or DVD, but just see it!

lorenzo-8 Mesmerizing and stark. Yang Li's documentary background is reflected in the ultra realistic look and feel of the film. Powerful and no b.s. It reminded me of the best of U.S. films from the 1970's. One particular sequence recalled The Last Detail but with higher stakes. This should be an influential film, however, it probably won't get the exposure it deserves.