''On the Beat'' () is a 1995
Chinese film
The cinema of China is one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan.
Cinema was introduced in China in 1896 and the first Chinese film, '' Dingjun Mountain'' ...
directed by
Ning Ying
Ning Ying (born 1959 in Beijing) is a female Chinese film director often considered a member of China's " Sixth Generation" filmmaker coterie, a group that also includes Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yuan and Wang Xiaoshuai. However, this is more a result ...
. It is the second film in Ning Ying's ''Beijing Trilogy'', a collection of three films that follows the massive changes to Beijing in the last decades of the twentieth century. Whereas Ning's previous film, ''
For Fun
''Looking for Fun'', released as ''For Fun'' in the U.S., is a 1992 Chinese comedy film directed by Ning Ying, written by Ning Ying and her sister Ning Dai, and based on a novella by Zheng Jiangong (which was translated into English by Jeanne Tai i ...
'' dealt with the older generation, ''On the Beat'' is firmly focused on the story of the
middle-aged
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
. ''I Love Beijing'', meanwhile, would follow characters belonging Beijing's younger generations. ''On the Beat'' was coproduced by Eurasia Communications, Euskal Media and the state-operated Beijing Film Studio. Some funding was also from the
International Film Festival Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...
's
Hubert Bals Fund.
[
''On the Beat'' follows a group of police officers in the ]Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The I ...
Precinct during the slow months of winter. The policemen, stuck in the dull winter months of Beijing, get stuck in a routine, only occasionally finding excitement, as when they chase after a rabid dog.
Released in 1995, ''On the Beat'' made the rounds of most of the major international film festivals, including Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Telluride and San Sebastián
San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
, among others.[
]
Plot
''On the Beat'' consists mainly of a series of vignettes involving members of a local precinct in the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Filmed in the slow months of December, January, and February[ the members of the PSB find they have little in the way of substantive police work. Instead, they spend time (and manpower) on small incidents like the chasing of a possibly rabid dog, the arrest of a small-time con artist, and the reprimanding of a man who sells posters of a woman in a bathing suit.
Though the incidents seem small, the PSB treats each with deadly seriousness, often to comedic effect. The film culminates in the arrest and intense interrogation of a man who may have insulted a police officer. Realizing that they have no evidence, the officers bluster as they attempt to avoid losing face.
]
Cast
Known for her style that echoes Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism ( it, Neorealismo), also known as the Golden Age, is a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They pri ...
and cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité (, , ; "truthful cinema") is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about Kino-Pravda. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or high ...
films, Ning Ying cast her film primarily with non-professional actors. Most of the police officers, for example, were actual police officers with the Beijing Police, while the residents on the police officers' beats were actual residents of Beijing neighborhoods.[ ]
While essentially an ensemble piece, the film generally revolves around the character of Yang Guoli (杨国立), played by police officer Li Zhanhe (李占河).
Reception
''On the Beat'' was well received by western critics and further cemented Ning Ying's reputation as a major talent to emerge from China in the early to mid-1990s. As such, Ning is often considered part of the "Sixth Generation" as opposed to the earlier "Fifth Generation" to which Ning is closer in both in terms of age and experience.
Derek Elley of ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' for example gives the film praise, but notes that perhaps the film's "ironic humor is an acquired taste."[ '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' meanwhile praised the films "effortless authenticity and a quiet, watchful style."
Several critics saw the film as a sly critique of the Chinese bureaucracy, a subject that was the focus of ''The Story of Qiu Ju
''The Story of Qiu Ju'' () is a 1992 Chinese comedy-drama film. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and, as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. The screenplay is an adaption of Chen Yuanbin's (陈源斌) novella ''The Wan Famil ...
'', Zhang Yimou's earlier film, and which would also be referenced several years later in Lu Xuechang's ''Cala, My Dog!
''Cala, My Dog!'' is a 2003 Chinese comedy film directed by Lu Xuechang. The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival and its Chinese release a week earlier on February 2, 2003. The film follows a blue-collar worke ...
''.
Chinese film scholar and critic Shelly Kraicer, however, saw the film as a critique of China's "Coca-Colaization." She notes the film's visual hints at the changing face of Beijing, from a marooned remnant of the old city wall
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
to the constant construction overtaking the city's hutong
''Hutong'' () are a type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, especially Beijing.
In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of ''siheyuan'', traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods wer ...
s. In so doing, Kraicer suggests, Ning Ying has created an image of a "traditional city under siege" by modernity.[
]
Awards and nominations
*1995 Entrevues Film Festival
**Grand Prix
*1995 San Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...
**Special Mention
*1995 Torino International Festival of Young Cinema
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
**Best Film - International Feature Film Competition
*1996 Fribourg International Film Festival
The Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF) is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Grand Prize is the main award of the Fribourg International Film Festival ...
**Special Mention
References
External links
*
''On the Beat''
at the Chinese Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:On The Beat (1995 Film)
Chinese comedy films
1995 films
1995 comedy films
Films set in Beijing
1990s Mandarin-language films
Films directed by Ning Ying