Review of The Bird People in China (1998) by Evan H — 14 Oct 2010
The Bird People of China differs radically from Takashi Miike's standard, transgressive fare. Miike replaces his usual gore, torture, and nastiness with an artful, beautifully filmed, meditative work that feels like a fantasy film shot in the style of Ozu.
Like Ozu's great masterpieces, The Bird People of China is not a fast-paced film--it languidly follows the rather sparse events of its narrative and takes time to focus upon the miraculous nature of the images that comprise the story.
Indeed, the film ultimately portrays reality itself as fantastic and uncanny. Bird People is a film about existential longing, about the desire for something that allows us to transcend the quotidian banality of existence.
Ultimately, Miike's flim argues that magic and mystery exist right within our grasp--they exist in nature and in ourselves if we only learn how to attune ourselves to their presence. The Bird People in China is a beautiful, intelligent piece of magical realism that makes you question your own relation to the world and that forces you to ask yourself if you too might have the ability to truly fly.
This review of The Bird People in China (1998) was written by Evan H on 14 Oct 2010.
The Bird People in China has generally received very positive reviews.
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