Platform

Jia Zhangke's Platform, from 2001, is a period piece set in the 1980s that follows members of a theatrical troupe against the backdrop of communist China's first experiments with privatization. The dour nature of their northern Chinese hometown of Fenyang is stressed as the characters are often dwarfed by the stone walls of their burg. The director favors long shots establishing the characters in their milieu, but also as performers on the various stages and platforms of their lives.

The various musical and theatrical performances show the creeping Western influence in China during the 80s. The troupe start the decade performing Maoist theater, but by the end of the decade, as state support lessens and they must earn their living in the marketplace, they have evolved into a "rock and breakdance" band.

Jia largely focuses on the collective response to these changes and largely eschews scenes focusing on character development. Not coincidentally, he also avoids close-ups. This method works to help explore one of the primary themes of Platform, the arrested development of Chinese youth. Berated by the more materially minded and conformist older generation for their lack of direction, the troupe members seem rather aimless as they tour China and Mongolia. They fritter away their time singing along to pop songs or playing games. The main character, Cui Mingliang, would have been branded a slacker had he lived in the USA at the time.

Zhangke's characters are constantly being bombarded by both visual and aural messages. The movies they watch and the pop songs they adore are counterpointed with state propaganda transmitted via street signs and loudspeakers. The arm of the state is omnipresent. The troupe is constantly being hassled by local authorities and the one child policy casts a pall over any romantic interchanges. Slow moving, at times, Platform is thoughtful and rewarding cinema.