Frozen (1997 film)
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''Frozen'' () is a
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
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
Wang Xiaoshuai Wang Xiaoshuai (; born May 22, 1966) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and occasional actor. He is commonly grouped under the loose association of filmmakers known as the "Sixth Generation" of the Cinema of China. Like others in this gener ...
. The film was originally shot in 1994, but was banned by Chinese authorities and had to be smuggled out of the country. Moreover, Wang was operating under a blacklisting from the Chinese Film Bureau that was imposed after his previous film, '' The Days'', was screened internationally without government approval.Berry, Michael (2005). "Wang Xiaoshuai: Banned in China" i
''Speaking in Images: Interviews With Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers''
p. 168. . Google Book Search. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
As such, Wang was forced to use the pseudonym "Wu Ming" (literally "Anonymous") while making this film. The film, supposedly based on a true story, follows a young
performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
ist, Qi Lei, who attempts to create a masterpiece centred on the theme of death. After two "acts" where he simulates death, he decides that his final act will be a true suicide through
hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe h ...
. ''Frozen'' was originally titled ''The Great Game'' (). This was meant to reflect the attitude of both the film and the artist portrayed within it to treat death and suicide as a game or a manipulation. Canadian scholar Erik Bordeleau has interpreted ''Frozen'' as an allegory of the aftermath of the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
in China. Qi Lei’s “experience of a radical loss of social subjectivity, staged in performative terms, powerfully echoes also that of the Tiananmen survivors, those whose lives did not come to an end, as did the world to which they belonged.”


Casting

Like Wang's first film, ''The Days'', ''Frozen'' was cast primarily with friends of Wang Xiaoshuai. Unlike in his earlier film, the two leads of ''Frozen'' were professional actors who would become major figures in the sixth generation movement.Berry, p. 169. Actor
Jia Hongsheng Jia Hongsheng (; 19 March 1967 – 5 July 2010) was a Chinese actor who became known in the late 1980s and early 1990s for roles in movies like ''The Case of the Silver Snake'' (1988), ''Good Morning, Beijing'' (1991), ''A Woman from North Shaan ...
was selected to play Qi Lei, a performance artist who decides to make his own death his final work. Jia would go on to star in other sixth generation films, notably with director
Lou Ye Lou Ye (), born 1965, is a Chinese screenwriter- director who is commonly grouped with the " Sixth Generation" directors of Chinese cinema. Films Born in Shanghai, Lou was educated at the Beijing Film Academy. In 1993, he made his first film ''W ...
in '' Weekend Lover'' (1994) and '' Suzhou River'' (2000). Wang selected Jia in part because he was unconventional looking and in Wang's words, Jia "does not look like an actor." But because Jia was Wang's friend, he did not demand payment, thus allowing the film to operate on a smaller budget. The other lead, Shao Yun, Qi Lei's girlfriend, was played by actress Ma Xiaoqing. Her casting was done in part to create parity with Jia. Wang wanted both leads to be professional actors.


Production

The film proved to be a difficult shoot, much like its predecessor. However, the problems that plagued ''Frozen'' were far different from the obstacles of ''The Days''. By far the greatest issue during filming was the content of the film. Several key scenes required actor Jia Hongsheng to recreate performance art, such as soap-eating, and in the film's ultimate scene, self-freezing. Both scenes were difficult to capture although the scene which demanded that Jia lay in ice for several minutes was the most dangerous. Indeed, Wang had to have Jia sent to the hospital immediately after shooting to check for permanent damage.Berry, p. 170.


DVD release

''Frozen'' was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
by
Fox Lorber Genius Products (also known as Genius Entertainment) was an entertainment company based in Santa Monica, California, United States. The ''Baby Genius'' line was one of a number of "smart toys" that came out in response to a study book about the ...
on February 22, 2000 in the United States. The Fox Lorber edition was basic, but included English subtitles and some extra features, including production notes and cast and crew filmographies.


Awards and nominations

''Frozen'' was nominated at 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 ...
for the Tiger Award, and won the FIPRESCI Award for Special Mention.


Notes


External links

* *
''Frozen''
at the Chinese Movie Database

from US Distributor, International Film Circuit, Inc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frozen (1997 Film) 1997 drama films 1997 films Chinese drama films Films directed by Wang Xiaoshuai Films set in Beijing 1990s Mandarin-language films