Assignment 3 touch of sin

1. Franqie Chan Jia Yi
2014050035
Film & TV Group 1
Asian Cinema - Assignment 3
Touch Of Sin
Directed & Written By : Jia ZhangKe
This movie contains of 4 different independent stories that about China social issues in modern
day. All of the stories is based on the real incidents that happened between 2001-2013. This
movie is also related to the move "A Touch of Zen" (197), a influential wuxia films.
The first story is about Hu DaHai who killed 14 people. In the story, Jia makes the character of
Hu DaHai a bit different as the real report mention that Hu WenHai actually dead in 2002 after
the year he killed people which is 2001. In the movie, Hu DaHai also shoot down a farmer that
keep beating the cow and this actually to portrait the heroic characteristic in Hu WenHai very
well. Through the report, real Hu said : I didn't feel remorse, I feel regret because I didn't manage
to kill all those people that I should kill. After Hu is dead, the China society become worse.
Although in the movie it didn't mention about it. Jia makes the character of Hu very interesting
in the movie although in the beginning it is quite confusing which is the main character.
The second story is about Zhou San who is a robber and murderer. In the movie, he keep on
traveling to do some robbery for his family. He back to his home in Chongqing because his
mother's birthday. When he reach, nobody welcome him even his family because they knew
what he has done. There is a scene where Zhou San and his son watching fireworks. Zhou San
ask his son whether want to put on a fireworks. He then fire the gun in front of his son, his son
seem to be very happy. This can carry out how Zhou San actually care about his family, just the
situation of him, he can't really stay at the same place. In the movie, Jia used a way to show Zhou
San actually bringing Zhou KeHua characteristic by the scene where he killed the people who
want to rob him when he is on his way home to Changqing and also he when he rob a woman on
the street and killed them. Jia used a very simple way to show up the characteristic and it is very
interesting.
The third story is about Xiao Yu which is a receptionist in a sauna. The character design of Xiao
Yu brings out the characteristic of the heroine in A Touch Of Zen. In the beginning, her lover (a
family man) come to her and want to leave the place together. However, when they go through
the bag scan, the police found that there is a knife in her lover's bag. Xiao Yu decided to take the
knife and leave him. After awhile, there is a news report that the train she almost take and her
lover is inside has an accident. She continue with her job later on. When she is working, there is
two men who try to rape her by slapping money to her face. She can't bear it and take out the
knife which her lover left for him and kill them. In this movie, Xiao Yu actually call the police
after she killed them and this portrait Deng YuJiao incident very nice as Deng YuJiao eventually
called her mother and also police. Meanwhile, the occupation of Xiao Yu in the movie is a sauna
receptionist while Deng YuJiao is working in the KTV which will actually meet those people

2. who come for having sexual relationship. Jia good in changing the character design without
losing the characteristic.
The fourth story is about Xiao Hui a young teenage who always need to earn money for his
family. In the beginning, he is a worker in a cloth company. After an incident of his colleague
because of him, he run away from the company to his friend, who work in a factory. His friend
telling him some work around there. He decided to be waiter in a night club - The Golden Age.
There is where he meet the girl name LianRong and fall in love with her. Due to the reason
LianRong is a prostitute, she don't want to follow him. Then, he travel back again to his friend
and work there. His family call him asking for money but he doesn't have cause he keep change
his job. He then can't bear the stress and commit suicide. A lot of cases about Foxconn incident.
This is consider one of it to show that the economic in China is quite bad. The rich one will
continue rich while the poor one will just be poor and most of the teenagers and adults cannot
bear the stress.
In this movie, Jia try to put in the twelve zodiac which eight of them success to be put in. DaHai
is actually portraiting a tiger as there is a scene where he put on the gun and there is a tiger roar
on that showing that he is like being possessed by a tiger. Xiao Yu is showing the characteristic
of snake where she love the man with family. Another zodiac such as oxen and horse is also
shown in the movie.
Jia ZhangKe, the director of this movie. He wrote this movie because he is inspired by the
incident that happen in China. He wants to show that the crime that happening in China that
cause bad image of China. Jia was actually having relationship with Communist Party. He
always use his movie to show something that others can't see. He wants to show outside how
China actually. Although his movie always get censorship due to the violence and also political
issue.