The film is captivating with its chronological narrative and dramatisation of the contrasts between a traditional “rural idyll” and an anonymous big city. The rhythm and bustle of the city is counteracted by the supposedly quiet and harmonious home village. The longing for the comfort and safety the protagonist feels amongst his family, ends in a violent reproach of blame that forces him to go back to the anonymity of the city.
The deliberate use of colour, music and visual aesthetics powerfully underlines the dynamics behind using your own body to make money fast whilst on a precarious path to the Chinese upper class.
