Review of Beijing Bicycle (2001) by Bonnie B — 24 May 2007

Beijing Bicycle is great. Fresh from the Chinese countryside, 17-year-old Guei is determined to make something of himself in the big city and tirelessly puts in grueling hours as a bicycle messenger to earn possession of his handsome mountain bike. His naiveté proves to be his undoing in this sharp commentary about Chinese society. Confused by something as routine as a revolving door, it is not surprising when Guei finds himself in a lavish Chinese spa mistakenly receiving a massage. These whimsical moments belie the film's serious message when Guei's very livelihood is threatened with the theft of his precious bicycle.

Enter Jian, a teenager whose values are undermined by peer pressure. A student at a private prep school, Jian's homelife seems in jarring contrast to his wealthier classmates. In an effort to impress them and one special girl, he steals money from his stepfather and buys Guei's bicycle at a flea market.

The paths of these very different teenagers cross when Guei-against all odds in this overpopulated city-finds his bicycle in Jian's possession and takes it back. Jian's gang of friends hunt down Guei . Despite brutal beatings, Guei's stubborn determination makes Jian's retrieval of the bicycle more complicated than he realized. Eventually, the unlikely duo reach an uneasy compromise and decide to share the bicycle.

This supposed happy ending is upended when Jian's romantic rival chases him through the streets with Guei caught up in the conflict. Jian, defeated in body and spirit, lies bloodied and Guei's bicycle, smashed during the brawl, is left unrideable. Guei, a survivor to the end, engulfs the film's closing shots. He is battered but not broken, his mangled bike hoisted on his back as he stoically makes his way through Beijing's congested thoroughfares.