Only the River Flows

"Ma Zhe" (Zhu Yilong) engenders an almost adulatory degree of support from his team as he leads them on an investigation following the discovery of the body of the goose-rearing "Granny Four" on a remote riverside. Suspicion quickly falls on her adopted friend known simply as the "madman", but the detective is not so convinced that things are that straightforward. His ensuing task isn't helped by pressure from his ping-pong playing boss to conclude quickly and by the fact that he and his wife are expecting a baby - and that procedure is not going to be as simple as they might like. With the rain pretty much relentless throughout, he encounters some quirky local characters who seem to muddy the waters rather than offer him clarity. Clarity? Well that's an element to this story that is a bit too sparing at times. "Ma Zhe" finds his troubles gradually getting the better of him - yes, there are more bodies - and soon his own grasp on reality becomes distinctly compromised. Can he keep it together long enough to solve the crime? The film starts with the usual affirmation of the communist values of team play before entering the realms of predictable cop drama tempered with a bit of undercooked psycho-babble that Zhu Yilong tries to hard hold together. By the denouement, though, I felt way too much of the plot was contrived to try to tap into the psyche - of him and us - and it didn't really work. That said, he does well here and we do get quite a tense sense of his gradually becoming overwhelmed by the scenarios that test his usually linear style of working, thinking and living. Sadly, aside from "Ma Zhe", the characters are barely developed and director Wei Shujun seems more interested in focussing on an admittedly gritty and authentic looking peek at 1990s rural China, whilst rather abandoning the detail and characterisation of story to the sidelines as the dream sequences blur more and more the line between reality and fantasy. It does move along well enough, but I found it a bit of a meringue of a film - not much when you get into it.

Lens: 16mm film movies are really not easy It has a very cinematic texture, composition, colors, perfect camera language, and metaphorical expression art, which perfectly fits this somewhat bizarre and absurd story. There are no unnecessary narrative techniques at all. Excellent artistry, the atmosphere brought by the screen is excellent!

Music: This movie doesn't have a lot of music, but it's all perfectly chosen. And most importantly, when you finish watching the music in the movie and hear it again, a very strange feeling arises, as if the story of Ma Zhe and his is floating in your mind again, bringing you back to the story of the movie like a movie. Many of the things conveyed by the camera seem to be experienced in an instant.

A well made drama with great atmosphere, in which the investigation of one murder leads to more innocent deaths. It's at its strongest early on and when we start finding out the police detective may not have a firm grip on reality. Aside from the hallucination sequences, for example, he seems to think he's received an award in the past when no one else remembers it, and despite flushing pieces of his wife's jigsaw puzzle down the toilet during an argument, later she's assembled the whole thing. It really makes you wonder whether he's losing his mind, and between that and other plot elements that don't quite add up, there is ample room to interpret the film as you wish (which I confess felt like a slight negative here).

The characters we meet during the investigation include a docile but mentally challenged man referred to by the locals as "the madman," a pair of star-crossed lovers, and a hairdresser whose secret cross-dressing is one of the few things in the film that you can see coming a mile away. The cop's pregnant wife who asserts her right to choose the infant's fate in no uncertain terms when told it has a 10% chance of being mentally defective is also a rare moment we feel on solid ground in the film, and it was a fantastic scene besides.

The cop's ping-pong loving superior officer urges him to consider the case closed, though a dream sequence in the theater seems to point out just how absurd it is to think "the madman" is behind it all - but then what about the murder of the child with an eyewitness? And why would the hairdresser commit suicide, after surviving a first attempt and being in great spirits literally moments before? Could the cop himself be somehow involved, suffering from some mental defect that he's going to pass on to his infant son? Or could the river itself harbor some form of malevolent spirt, driving people to violence, despair, or insanity?

There are lots of questions here, but just like with the jigsaw puzzle, director Wei Shujun seems to have thrown away a few pieces, leaving us to decide for ourselves. The fact that the cop gets the award he seemed to be deluded about makes really made me wonder how much of this is distorted, or in his mind. That look in the baby's eye was certainly ominous, and maybe an indication that there's some larger, unknowable evil afoot. I just wish this had been a smidge more coherent.

Reviews from the premiere was exciting so glad I got the replay ticket on 22 May at the Cannes festival. No spoilers.

Actor Zhu Yilong was fantastic in portraiting the character Ma Zhe and gave some very powerful and mesmerizing scenes. One can feel the emotional turmoil of Ma Zhe as the storyline unfold. An amazing young and gifted actor. I look forward in checking out his other movies.

The cinematography was fabulous. Many great scenes composition and the final grading set a good tone on the mood.

The bgm blended well and compliment the movie story development.

Only the River Flows is a well made movie taking a deep dive into human nature and self reflection.

Really and Excellent Film Worth Watching. Fantastic in every level, especially cinematography and acting. The portrayal of a rural town in 90's China is AMAZING. I lived during those years and the realism is mesmerizing. The attention to detail is out of this world. Even the yellow lamps, which were so common at the time, the thermos, the black leather suits, gooses roaming around the streets, the haircuts, everything is just PERFECT. Honestly, I have come to IMDB to check if the movie was really made in the 1990's or when.. just to make sure. I felt transported to a time in my life, a time that meant so much to me, that taught me and made me who I am. Wonderful Cinematography indeed. Acting was also PERFECT, the way you see those characters, their interactions, their dialogues... that was the way how men and women where! How could i forget? The realism in acting is off the chart. The story is also great, although for me, the brilliant, flawless cinematography and superb acting skills from all the actors involved is what makes me admire and appreciate "Only the River Flows." In fact, its a movie that i'd want to watch again, as it is still being show at SM City Cinema. In conclusion, I enjoyed and liked this filming effort 100%, and I would like to recommend it to you. I don't think you'd get disappointed, unless you were expecting a police movie filled with shootings and fights. This is none of that. There is police work, but its mostly from the psychological point of view and how china's society of the time could be at times hard to handle. We have to remember that those were years of huge transformations. It was right before china's big Deng Xioaping opening. Things were still pretty much centralized and face and obedience were paramount in every way of society. This movie is really a perfect portrayal of how china was during those years. Trust me, I lived them. It is how it was. But, even though for young generations it might seem nuts, the truth is it was not. It was awesome, I loved my live in the 90's China. My years were in rural Changsha, in Hunan province. So similar. Even the river as big part of the town is just exactly how it was. I loved those years, always will, and this movie is just WONDERFUL! (my humble opinion)