Plot: After taking a job at the Municipal Procuratorate, Han Ming's life becomes impossible. An incident at his son's school escalates and his wife is thrown in prison when she steps in. Meanwhile, another client is facing similar injustices. Ming is irritated that the law isn't bringing justice to people, so he decides to make a stand.
Watches
March 02, 2025
Zhang Yimou making a typical Chinese people (or state?) pleaser. it's one of those films where a common man stands up for justice and makes a difference, exactly the kind of drama that has been doing very well at Chinese box offices these past few years. Yimou keeps it simple, turning this into a plain and rather long-winded drama.
The performances are decent and there are some effective moments scattered throughout. But Zhang's visual bravura is completely absent and the 2+ hour runtime isn't justified for what is just a basic drama with a social message. It's not a complete disaster, and people who liked his early 90s work might think this is a return to form, but this wasn't for me.