https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4 A Timeline of the movie and how each story connects. Along with the takeaway and main idea from each story. en-us 2020-04-08 18:24:30 UTC 2023-04-22 21:22:52 UTC hello@padlet.com lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560689996 Right here at the beginning of movie two characters meet each other, they don't formally meet but they come across each other on the street where the fallen tomato truck is. The two characters are Dahai and Zhou San.]]> 2020-05-08 20:29:03 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560689996 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560728673 Dahai is a miner and works for these rich guys. The men in power and the chief of the village and embezzling money, all while these workers aren't being pay much and work in poor conditions. Dahai gets tired of it and everyone not standing up to them, to the point where he kills the people working for him and Jiao too. ]]> 2020-05-08 20:57:13 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560728673 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560774307 Not only does Dahai shoot the people working for Jiao but he also shoots the man abusing his horse and I believe this man and horse represent him and the people in power. The people in power abuse their workers for their own personal gain just like this man does to his horse. The man believes that abusing his horse with teach it something and he may even do it just because he has the power to. I believe that's like what the men in power are doing they are acting like this because they have all this power and control and that does go to peoples heads. When Dahai shoots the guy it's as if in return he is setting the horse free. That could also show how Dahai feels free now after letting out all the pent up anger.]]> 2020-05-08 21:36:04 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560774307 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560784194 This story was chosen to be apart of this movie because it shows the big difference between classes. The miners are being taken advantage of by the village leaders. These leaders are corrupt and embezzle money and pay their employers barely livable wages while also providing them with no protection. Jia Zhangke wanted to raise awareness to these people and the corruption happening right under everyones eyes. He also chose to show the most extreme case which does probably happen sometimes because workers get so fed up with being treated like garbage. ]]> 2020-05-08 21:45:13 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560784194 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560816167 Zhou is a migrant worker who barely sees his family. When he does see them he doesn't know his community like the others and he's not as close to his son since he rarely sees him. Same goes for his wife, they also have some problems in their relationship and him not being there adds to it. He doesn't seem to be too happy about his life and one day when he goes to leave again or work he decides maybe using a gun will give him a better life. The first thing he does is shoot a man and a wife and steal their bags to get money.]]> 2020-05-08 22:17:16 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560816167 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560848108 This story shoes that migrant workers since they aren't home often since they have to work to provide for their family that when they get home they feel like an outsider. In this story when Zhou gets home he's not really a part of his community and his and his wife has some issues which could be from him not being there all the time and his kid doesn't seem to know him too well. This goes to show that migrant workers work hard just so their family at home can live and they miss out on things which takes a toll on them and in reality they aren't they happy. As shown in this story the worst possible case is that people turn to violence and killing others or even just stealing to get the money they need instead of working in the awful conditions for poor pay. ]]> 2020-05-08 22:54:14 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560848108 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560852105 Xiao Yu's story actually starts at the end of Zhou's story and they don't necessarily meet each other but the married man Xiao meets at the beginning of the story is on the same bus as Zhou. Xiao is dating a married man and tries to get him to finally leave his wife. Xiao works at a "spa" and one day at work the mans wife shows up with 3 other men and beat her up. That same day when her shift ends she goes to a sauna and cleans her clothes this is when she encounters the rich man who assaults her. Tired of being assaulted Xiao stabs his and leaves in utter shock that she did that. ]]> 2020-05-08 22:58:58 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560852105 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560872114 The scene when Xiao is assaulted, when she stabs the man she moves as if she's in a martial arts film. Out of all the killings this one I would say is the least normal just because it's martial arts like. The way she moves in one smooth motion and her stance is very martial arts like. I believe the director decided to go this route because usually in martial arts movies, such the movie "Fists of Fury" the main character will take matters into their own hands, since no one is doing the justice that is deserved. This is basically saying that Xiao took matters into her own hands when she killed this man. She didn't wait to report this instead she decided how to handle the situation. Xiao knew that if she told someone nothing would probably be done so just like the main character in a martial arts film she took matters into her own hands.]]> 2020-05-08 23:26:20 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560872114 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560876855 In the workforce and working at places such as Xiao women are forced to do thing they don't want and if they say no just like Xiao they will be assaulted. I'm sure the assault can be even worse than what happened to Xiao but it's something most women go through which is not okay. The director wanted to bring light to an issue that is fairly common for women and it shouldn't just be normalized for women to get assaulted at their jobs. Women shouldn't have to deal with this and even when they stand up for themselves it still doesn't go well for themselves. So this story shines light on what women have to deal with when they are working and men with money just assume they can get whatever they want.]]> 2020-05-08 23:32:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/560876855 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561654490 Xiao Hui works at a Clothing factory and when he distracts his friend during work and his friend seriously injures his hand, Xiao is now forced to give all his pay checks to his friend while he's out. Xiao decides he rather runaway than do that so he ends up working at "club". At this club his makes friends with a girl there and catches feelings for her and she ends up not feeling the same way back, this causes his to leave and begin working at a nearby factory. One day when he is not working the friend from the first job finds him and threatens him, and this becomes the last straw for him because when he gets back to the sleeping quarters he jumps off  the balcony and kills himself.]]> 2020-05-09 16:34:10 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561654490 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561720710 When Xiao kills himself, the camera stays on him for a few minutes with just the machines from the factory in the background whirring. This scene was played out like this to put an emphasis on how common this is and how life just keeps on going. To the factory owners these workers are disposable and losing one doesn't affect them because they know they can just get someone to replace them. This is why you just hear the machines because they just keep on working, that doesn't phase them and means nothing to them. In simple words life just keeps on going. The camera staying on him for an extended time just helps with the emphasis and gives you a chance to think about it. This lets this settle in your heard and really sit with you which is exactly what the director wants to happen.]]> 2020-05-09 17:37:54 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561720710 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561726080 This story was put in by the director because it show the ruthlessness of working in these factories and the toll it takes on the workers. It also shows how the mental health of these workers is deteriorating and they don't pay attention or help them get the help they need. Many of these workers are just like Xiao seeking some sort of happiness and maybe fulfillment in life than just this constant work. As a result many people see their only way out of this lifestyle is to kill themselves because no matter where they work it's always the same.]]> 2020-05-09 17:43:39 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561726080 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561729416 Xiao Yu is now applying at the factory owned by Jiao and his wife except since Jiao was killed by Dahai, his wife is the one doing the interview process. Just like everyone else Xiao Yu is now at her next job and once again its a company that takes advantage of their workers and we know that because it's owned by Jiao and his wife. The movie ends with Xiao going into town and watching an Opera that is going on.]]> 2020-05-09 17:47:12 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561729416 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561735369 A Touch of Sin. (2013).
Interview: Jia Zhang-ke. (2015, July 28). Retrieved from https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/jia-zhang-ke-interview-a-touch-of-sin/]]> 2020-05-09 17:53:58 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/561735369 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571253004 The scenes where Dahai kills each person, every single one is realistic. They don't dramatize the killings and make them prolonged or dragged out. Each one is very realistic and almost uncomfortable to watch. They make you watch the killing it's not like they just make it assumed that he killed them. We watch the whole thing and they don't play music in the background or anything it's just silent and all you hear is the gunshot. I believe the director did this to make it like I said before more realistic and give a better impression. If this scene had other things going on and was dramatized then you wouldn't get the same thing out of it as when he made it silent. It also uncomfortable to watch but that's the truth and that's real. ]]> 2020-05-13 21:21:14 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571253004 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571406256 At the end when Xiao Yu comes across an opera and decides to stop and watch it. This opera at the end is supposed to reflect Xiao's situation and a little bit of the other 3 stories. This opera scene we witness is a women being put on trial for a sin she did and being asked if committed the crime. This reflects Xiao situation because she also committed crime by killing a man. This opera is a very well know opera that is about a women not only getting tried for a crime she committed but she was also unfairly treated. This is what happened with Xiao she wasn't treated right at her job and more specifically she was assaulted and this opera reflects that. This also reflects the other stories because in a way each charactered wasn't treated fairly and as a result killed someone or their self which they all very much could've been tried for their crimes. This opera is a perfect way to end the movie because it reflects and summarizes all four stories.]]> 2020-05-13 23:31:59 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571406256 lainey_pawlak https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571456876 At the end of Zhou's story right before he leaves he decides to rob a couple. During this scene there isn't any music being played you just hear the gun shot from when he kills the couple just like from the first story. This also adds realism to the scene. Also being robbed in public is a very common thing especially in large cities. Being killed and then robbed is somewhat of an extreme but very possible. To make this scene as real as possible the director didn't add any music. Doing is in public adds a sort of risk and adrenaline that he could be caught but the fact that he wears different clothes and makes it almost impossible to identify him is what keep shim from being caught. His swiftness and ease to killing them and grabbing their bags also adds to him not getting caught. The people that usually do this have done it many times and know what to do and that exactly how Zhou is which adds to the realness again. ]]> 2020-05-14 00:21:12 UTC https://padlet.com/lainey_pawlak/35y8h3kewyp4/wish/571456876