This falls into the group of recent Chinese films I call modern grunge. Very slow pacing, gritty locations, scuzzy characters. This could be a reaction to the last generation of directors like Zhang Yimou who emphasized prettiness and traditional stories.
This was filmed around the 3 Gorges dam project and dealt with the severe dislocation experienced by the locals whose homes and way of life was being destroyed. Many of the exterior locations were beautiful. There was one startling episode which slid into metaphysical significance.
The film gradually began to work on me and by the end I felt I had seen something worthwhile and satisfying.
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