In his 2006 film, Still Life, Jia Zhangke creates an...

In his 2006 film, Still Life, Jia Zhangke creates an enigmatic case study of alienation and displacement. Through the use of space, both literal and figurative, and long, extended takes that expand the perception of time Zhangke tells the story of a people who are victims of their own environment. What is perhaps most striking of the film, beyond even the existential and political undertones, is the division drawn between the cold and demonstrative attitude the government adopts towards its citizens and the warm, caring daily interactions between the people themselves. The film opens with the protagonist, Han Sanming, arriving to the city of Fengjie in a fashion almost as languid as the boat ride there. The story follows a narrative,†¦show more content†¦In the final scene of the movie Han informs the others of his decision to return to his home in Shanxi and work in the coal mines until he can repay the debt that keeps his daughter bound to her employer. Upon hearing the news his fellow workmen share a pack of cigarettes and drink to his safety and good fortune, as well as making a pact that they will follow Han to Shanxi and work alongside him in the mines. The scene is perhaps dry and longwinded, but the emotional recourse is so powerful that it warrants a simple aesthetic to balance the tone of the story with the mood it instills upon the audience. The fact that such camaraderie can arise in a world of detachment and enmity brings the closure that Zhangke has slowly and brilliantly steered the audience towards since the beginning of th e film. Compared to the heartfelt bond that Han shares with his co-workers, the relationship of the government with its people is a stark alliance that extends to the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. The public dissatisfaction with national policy is summed up in the simple image of the Chinese character for destroy placed by government officials on particular buildings without the consent of the people. The white paint almost emanates from the rust and corrosion of the homes it is placed upon and the response of those afflicted are just as harsh. The people shout and plead with government officials, but are only met with apathy and