Beijing Bicycle (2002)

You won't be disappointed!

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I remember my first bike. It was a Huffy. It didn't have a name and I believe my excitement for it only lasted one summer, but it did get me from point A to point B, and I will always remember it for those solid memories. What would be my actions if during that one summer of joy my illustrious bike were to be stolen? Would I bring about wrath and vengeance upon anyone that dared cross my path? Probably not, but it would have been fun to have an adventure like the two boys in this film.To make it simple. Boy is trained to be a courier. Bike is given, but needs to be paid off. Bike is nearly paid for when it is stolen. Boy goes bonkers. Change story. New boy finds love with new (stolen) bike. He makes more friends. He is the rooster of the farm. Then, these two boys meet. Violence begets violence. Boy looses girl. Boy continues to loose job. Violence ensues. Cut to visionary ending about the life of a bike.Was this a documentary? "Beijing Bicycle" kept my attention, but left me utterly confused as to who to root for. For the first hour of the film, I found myself on the original boy's side, but somehow changed midstream, but then changed back, only to find myself apathetic towards the end. This is not the consistency that I like my oatmeal. A lumpy camera gave us a sympathetic eye towards both of our characters, leaving us with nobody to love or to hate. I needed a definition with this film. I wanted to root for one character and only one character. By giving me passion for both I didn't really have any emotion towards the ending, which could have been quite dramatic.I loved the music.I loved the cinematography.I loved that it promoted smoking.I loved the characters – individually, but I needed a defined bad guy and a defined good guy. Don't get me wrong, when Vader picks up the Emperor at the end of "Jedi", I felt sympathy for the bad guy – but think of what the film would have been like if the Emperor kissed Vader right before he fell. That is the emotion happening with "Beijing Bicycle".Could I watch this film again? Absolutely, but I could not sit still. I would know what was going to happen with our characters, I would know what feelings I would have for both of them by the end, and I would still find myself apathetic to any of their causes. One is strong, while the other is weak. It was like black vs. gray instead of black vs. white. I would call this film a "Study of Cinema's Gray Zone".I will suggest this film to friends and family as a one time viewing. It was a decent outing for a film about a bicycle, and would have no problems buying this DVD for my old Huffy that is still rotting away in the garage. I think he would like it.What are my thoughts? I give this film an "Ehhhhhhhhhggggggggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaa", as I feel weight on my shoulders as I thumb the edge of this DVD's box.

I found this film to be rather enjoyable - like a book that does not contain any gripping plot, but cannot be put down nonetheless. Gui, in his unwavering honesty and determination, clings to his bicycle as his undying sense of being. Jian - forced down the road of no return for his dishonest and infatuation for Qin.Straying from any typical movie with a storyline leading to a happy ending - the sense of despair for Gui becomes greater as the story unfolds. This is not to say the film does not have a happy ending (those who have not seen it will need to watch for themselves).Worth watching...

Beijing Bicycle is certainly a layered movie that can be read at many levels. It ostensibly deals with a delicate and difficult subject that China confronts in its frenzied project of modernization: the floating population who lives on the edge of the city, the marginalized group that can no longer be glossed over in the grand narrative of urbanization. This floating population is the abjection, the cluster that can not be assimilated, the group being ruthlessly cast away but stubbornly clings on, and protests in silence; it is a disoriented group, usually incompatible to the ever-changing landscape of metropolitans; their voice is constantly being submerged in the hubbub of the sleepless cities. Indeed, the floating population is aphemic. What strikes me, frustrates me and saddens me is Gui's inability to communicate, to speak out, and to articulate for himself. (This is a little far off, but I was reminded of the similar frustration I had as a little girl when reading 'the little mermaid': if the mermaid has not given her voice away to the witch, she could tell the prince that it was she who saved him and wins his love.) Similar to the little mermaid, Gui could not speak up when he was wronged and abused. For instance, all Gui could convey to get his bicycle back is either his obstinate silence or his repeated sentence: "zhe che ben lai jiu shi wo de" (the bicycle is originally mine). His desperate, strident and continuous cry when being forced with violence by Jian's gang to let go off his bicycle is simply heart-breaking. Who is to blame for Gui's aphasia? Is it class division? Is it his own dislocation? Or is it the indifference of the city with its condescending atmosphere? The picture is definitely not black and white. The result of his aphasia, on the other hand, is more self-evident: at the end of the movie, Gui eventually turns to violence to break his silence… It is said that at least 60% of the crime that happens in Chinese cities comes from the floating population. They are suggested to be the root of the social problems. News reports constantly show how the innocent city folks are being hurt and robbed by those "the other" from the abjection, the floating population. Beijing Bicycle, however, attempts to approach this abjection, to speak up for those who do not speak for themselves, and allow us to sympathize with their plight.

I saw the movie a couple of years ago, and than i thought it was good. But now that i own the DVD, and now that i found all the symbolism within it, i now appreciate the movie to another level. The fact that the movie revolves around a simple bike( symbolism of course) makes the movie so much better. The 2 main characters could have easily bought another bike, but it wasn't about the bike, it was something that each wanted to gain along with it. The big thing about this movie is that you need to study and watch for the symbolism in this movie to really appreciate the artistic aspect of it. Most Definitely one of the best movies i have ever seen. A must see for movie buffs, or even for people who just enjoy to stay in and watch a good flick!