A Touch of Sin
| A Touch of Sin | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jia Zhangke |
| Written by | Jia Zhangke |
| Starring | Jiang Wu Zhao Tao Wang Baoqiang |
| Cinematography | Paweł Edelman |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
A Touch of Sin (天注定; Tian zhu ding) is a 2013 Chinese crime film directed by Jia Zhangke. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival,[1] with Jia winning the award for Best Screenplay.[2] Stars of the film include Zhao Tao, Jia's wife and longtime collaborator.
The film revolves around four threads set in vastly different geographical and social milieus across modern-day China, ranging from the bustling southern metropolis of Guangzhou to the more rural townships in Jia's home province of Shanxi.[3] Set in current times and based on allegedly true events from the recent past, the film also draws on the history of wuxia stories. Its English title is a reference to King Hu's 1971 action epic A Touch of Zen, one of the most influential wuxia films.
Reception and release
Critics noted that A Touch of Sin, with its genre elements including scenes of graphic violence, was a stylistic departure from some of Jia's past works, known for quiet realism and surreal visions of contemporary China. However, other critics noted that the disturbing themes of the film built on the social criticism in Jia's earlier work.[4]
Although Jia's films have been officially released in China since 2004's The World, his earlier works were made independent of government censors and were thus never publicly released in cinemas. In May 2013 it was announced that the film had been cleared for release in mainland China, a surprise to observers within and outside the country who feared such subject matter was taboo.[4] However, by December 2013 the film still had not been cleared by censors,[5] and a leaked directive from the Central Propaganda Department instructed media not to conduct interviews, report or comment on the film.[6]
References
- ^ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "Cannes Film Festival: Awards 2013". Cannes. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ^ ""A Touch of Sin" in competition at 2013 Cannes Film Festival". Asianfilmblog. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ a b "In 'Touch of Sin,' Jia Zhangke changes his style but not themes". LA Times. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ China Doesn't Want You to See This Year's Best Chinese Film. Luckily, I saw it in the U.S.
- ^ [1]
External links
 | This article related to a Chinese film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This 2010s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |