A Vida Por Um Fio

When one thinks of the term "enlightenment," as least with regards to cinematic portrayals, the usual images that pop up are robed monks chanting Buddhist sutras or quoting mind-imploding Zen insights. But as any good Buddhist can tell you, the roads to enlightenment are infinite. This particular old master's path to enlightenment involves the snapping of one thousand banjo strings. When the last string is broken, the old man will at last see the truth and be ready to die.

"Life on the String" is one of the most enjoyable and bittersweet Chinese costume epics I've ever experienced. But to label this somewhat obscure gem as a "costume epic" is a bit of an injustice, given its highly unusual story.

A blind old master of the pipa (Chinese banjo) and his blind apprentice wander through the wastes of Western China (Xinjiang), in search of enlightenment and inspiration. Upon settling in an abandoned hovel, the old master eagerly anticipates enlightenment and the sweet release of death, as he is on his 995th string.

This film, directed by the acclaimed director of "Farewell, My Concubine," is perhaps one of the most magnificently shot films I've ever encountered. But the most amazing aspect of this film is the music. You KNOW the old master is indeed a master when he plays his banjo. His melancholy, dreamy melodies give this film a genuine dream-like quality. The English subtitles, which are competently written, can only hint at the sublime Chinese poetry of his lyrics. The old man's music can work magic...a type of magic that the violent world that surrounds him sorely needs.

Despite "Life on a String"'s deliberate pace, you will be caught up in the story and its eccentric cast of characters. It's hard not to get lost in the seemingly endless horizons of the Chinese deserts and the hypnotic singing of the old master which swells with a lush symphonic accompaniment when he really needs to exert his magic. I also found myself feeling the old man's mounting excitement at his approaching death/enlightenment, as well as his temptation to sink into despair at this imperfect world's follies.

I highly recommend "Life on the String" for when you're in a contemplative, or perhaps "poetic", mood. For a film which deals with the theme of death, it is a very positive and uplifting work, forgoing the usual gloom and doom aura that often surrounds death. It is a film that cries out for the stillness of the soul so that one may hear a truth that can only be expressed in song.

Few films have effected me as this one, a quiet gem that details the long life of a blind musician searching for purpose. He is considered a saint by the local villagers, often wisely singing on the pettiness of their quarrels, and the beauty of life and brotherhood...

As in Bergmans' 'Wild Strawberries', the protagonist is at a point in his life where death is around the corner. His one wish is to regain his sight, his hope had been sown by his own dying master. When a set amount of strings are plucked a secret compartment in his instrument will open, the cure inside.

The film is beatifully photographed, the acting heartfelt and believable, and the music,the music...

Well, the first time I saw this film, it wasn't from the beginning, in fact, I caught the last 10 minutes of it. The old man,singing to a crowd , finally excepting his fate. He muses the love that he felt for the villagers, and the disappointments and joys that came with his life. It was one of the most beautiful segments I had seen in film. I was actually brought to tears...

Overall an excellent film, and I'm looking foward to seeing this director's other work.

10 out of 10

This movie must be seen in the theaters to be appreciated. The scenery is breathtaking. Every frame is like a painting that you can hang on the wall. The songs are memorable. It is a type of film that makes you appreciate life and all its beauty. It also shows how blind people can see and appreciate things much more than those who can see.

"Life on a String" (Chinese, 1991): Asian symbols often slip right past this very non-Asian man, but I can say a few things that others might be able to use from their Euro-North American point of view: Imagine German film director Werner Herzog being reincarnated as a Chinese film director. He decides to create a story that has links to both the story of Jesus of Nazareth, and Romeo & Juliet, but remains embedded in the Chinese sensibility of myths, symbols, religion, and morality tales. This is a BEAUTIFUL film with many unexpected moments…but don't expect to work your way through this one all alone, without research, or after one viewing.

The literal translation is "Singing while Walking". Compared to Yellow Earth (Huang Tu Di) seven years ago, the director has made a obvious giant stride in the criticism of not-so-favorite part of traditional Chinese culture, which is to blame for the human tragedies in this film.