Dou niu

I've mentioned before that I am practically forbidden from seeing movies where animals or children are in peril. Dumbo is the Disney movie that haunts me, to this day. And, Snow Angels from 2007 sent me into a week long depression. I'm not exaggerating very much, either.

Therefore, when I told my husband one of the movies I really wanted to see at the Cleveland International Film Festival was Cow, and I read him the description, I was laughing. He was not amused. 1940, China, during Sino-Japanese War. Niu Er lives in a village and is tasked with taking care of a cow, on loan from the Army. He is a simple peasant, but he takes his job seriously. And, in the aftermath of Japanese firebombing, that job is tough. Everybody wants a piece of the cow. The cow reminds him of his wife. The cow reminded me of my dog. The cow and the man struggle in a hostile environment with chaos all around to stay alive. I loved their story. I give Cow a 9 out of 10.

Huang Bo plays a village outcast who's more than a little slow, but basically a well-intentioned and honest man. At the beginning of the film we realize his entire village has been massacred by invading Japanese soldiers, and slowly the film begins to reconstruct the life of the unfortunate survivor through a series of flashbacks. His last and most faithful friend is a cow that he has unexpectedly come into possession of, a relationship we begin to appreciate as the man's past is revealed. Full of unexpected twists and turns, the film certainly manages to hold one's attention despite the seemingly simple story. One of the more interesting Chinese films made this year. Huang Bo previously played in the Chinese comic hit "Crazy Stone".

Niu Er gets in charge of the cow of the 8th Division in the middle of the war, with Japanese, communists, nationalists, bandits, and probably everyone else in China in that time, close by. He will try to keep the cow alive and protected while also avoiding being killed himself. Slowly, a bond is created between them two. But with all the dangers around them, survival seems almost impossible.

"Cow" is a quite entertaining and interesting movie. Centered on Bo Huang's Niu Er, we jump in time constantly, while getting to know more about the two protagonists and their relationship. It is amazing how the director, the script and Bo Huang all make the cow another character with personality and spirit, sometimes even out-acting people around her. All other characters, from the Japanese soldiers to the townsfolk, just seem to be there to help the plot advance and show Niu Er and the cow in different moments of their relationship. Luckily, so much jumping in time does not make the plot difficult to follow or messy; however the movie can't overcome some shortcomings in pace and it could have been a tiny bit shorter.

In the middle of war, death and violence, a cow and the only human survivor show how friendship and love can be born anywhere and from anyone. Good movie.