A Touch of Sin Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
A Touch of Sin is great. Anyone with a remote interest in contemporary China should watch this. It’s a politically charged painting of the erosion of Chinese society. Jia Zhangke weaves together four narratives from rural townships to life in the big cities. For a critique of society in contemporary China, this one is a must watch.
From: China, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Have a Nice Day, Wild Tales, Amores Perros
Why Watch A Touch of Sin
- You like films which are social commentaries – the Chinese government tried to suppress this one!
- Or you like anything that is critically acclaimed – this one won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2013.
- For Kung-Fu style revenge!
- To see the China you don’t see in the Travel guides.
The Breakdown
A Touch of Sin opens to a man sitting on a scooter tossing a red apple in his hand. He is looking at an overturned apple truck which has poured it’s red produce all over the road. Cue eclectic music. Another man in a woolen Chicago Bulls hat is riding a scooter down an empty road which winds through barren landscape. He is riding up to a massive half built bridge in the middle of what appears to be nowhere. His scooter is approached and surrounded by three guys with hammers. They want his money. He reaches for his wallet and brings out a gun and shoots all three dead Quentin Tarantino style. He rides on past an overturned apple truck where we see our primary protagonist watching police uncover a body from under the pile of apples. TITLE CREDITS: A Touch of Sin.
The introduction sets the mood for the four tales that follow. There will be blood! In each of the four stories, our protagonists are each stuck in tricky situations which they cannot remove themselves from. Jia Zhangke deliberately puts each of the protagonists into a pressure-cooker until they all start cooking. It is no mistake that animal cruelty plays a part in this film. The image of a horse being whipped by one man until it collapses really serves as a perfect metaphor for the situation the characters are in. They are all treated like animals.
Furthermore, to add to the build up, Zhangke keeps the camera moving whenever there is movement on screen. The camera may stop moving briefly as the protagonist pauses in thought only to start moving again when they start going somewhere. Like a game of musical chairs the audience is not allowed to settle. This effect gradually builds up more and more until the metaphorical last straw is placed on the camel’s back.
Jia Zhangke’s portrayal of China is not a positive one, which apparently contrasts from his more reserved earlier portrayals of China (he did ‘reserved’ films!?). A Touch of Sin portrays a China that is half built. We see many deserted construction sites, like a half built Bridge across a gorge and an empty shell of an airport. In contrast, the Great Wall and other historic buildings shown in the film are still standing, a sign of better times. There is a lot of promise of a bright future, but this bright future does not appear to any of our protagonists.
Instead this bright future is apparent for those who have used ‘a touch of sin.’ Money is the status symbol which is attained through corruption and sin. Money is quite literally power. Characters slap others with stacks of cash and throw it at others to get their own way. Those with money can do anything they please to those who don’t have it. This forces our protagonists to take drastic measures to fight for their piece of the pie.
What to Watch Next
For a darkly funny Argentinian companion to A Touch of Sin, watch Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales. You could also check out Bunuel’s satire of the Mexican upper classes in The Exterminating Angel.
Or if you want to see more dark films from China check out the entertaining animation, Have a Nice Day and the disillusioned idealists in Summer Palace.
Lastly, if you’re just a fan of films which combine multiple narratives, check out Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Babel and Amores Perros, as well as Hollywood classics such as Pulp Fiction and Magnolia.
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