[FIELDWORK]CLOUD IN THE WIND (SHADOW PLAY),Xiancun

CLOUD IN THE WIND (SHADOW PLAY), Lou Ye(2019)

Xiancun, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

Lou Ye released Cloud in the Wind/Shadow Play in April 2019. The film was adapted from the demolition and transformation of Xiancun, an urban village in Guangzhou. The story revolved around the murder case of the director of the construction committee in Xiancun. Xiancun was the movie’s background and critical element since the main character lived there. Xiancun is an old village with a history of more than 800 years located in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, which has been cultivating fields for generations. Xiancun is the last village in the Pearl River New Town, the central business district of Guangzhou. Since the renovation program in 2009, it has been demolished for nearly 13 years and was once known as the “scar of Pearl City.” The film was shot in 2014, and since then, Xiancun has gradually been demolished and renovated.

Given that Xiancun has undergone the renovation program since the film shot, there is no surprise that Xiancun in the film is quite different from reality. From the beginning of the film, with the panopticon of the Xiancun and the surrounding high-rise building, we can see the contrast between the urban village and the CBD building. Even though Xiancun has been renovated for years, it was still in the early stages of construction. So, the sharp contrast between Xiancun and the surrounding high-rise building still exists. What is different is the village itself. From the picture of the film, we can see the crowded old village houses. There were many old-fashioned brick houses and broken walls and ruins in Xiancun. Also, many villagers lived there in the film. But now, most places in the village have been demolished, replaced by the construction site. Villagers have all gone and been replaced by construction workers and cranes. Also, comparing the color of the pictures, we can see that film uses a darker and colder color. It felt like the village in the movie is always on a cloudy day without sun.

Panopticon of Xiancun and nearby CBD buildings in the Pearl River New Town in 2014. Scenes from the Cloud in the Wind/ The Shadow Play 2019, directed by Lou Ye.

The close shot of houses and broken walls and ruins in Xiancun. Scenes from the Cloud in the Wind/ The Shadow Play 2019, directed by Lou Ye.

Panopticon of Xiancun and nearby CBD buildings in the Pearl River New Town in March 2022. 拿铁房产观[@拿铁房产观]. (2022, March 2). [Weibo; thumbnail link to article]. Weibo.https://m.weibo.cn/1271381453/4742624973687193

There are three reasons for the differences. First, as mentioned before, this movie was shot in 2014, and Xiancun has undergone many changes since then. Just as the movie poster shows, “the movie will help us remember us and our times”.1 Even though the old village disappears, we can still see what it used to look like from the movie. Second, the use of darker and colder colors in the film creates a dark, mysterious, and depressing atmosphere, which fits the theme of this suspense film. One example is the application of handheld filming in the narrow alley. From the photo, we can see the path the police were in, which was quite dark and mysterious, creating a thrilling atmosphere. Apart from that, darker and colder colors in the movie also created an old-fashioned feeling. The film used this kind of old feeling to contrast the nearby high-rise buildings greatly. The high-rise building nearby represents the rich man Jiangzicheng, and the old village represents the poor man Tangyijie. The massive gap between them creates conflicts in the film.

Left: Movie poster of the film Cloud in the Wind/ The Shadow Play 2019, directed by Lou Ye. Right: The police was escaping from tracking in the small path of Xiancun. Scenes from the Cloud in the Wind/ Shadow Play 2019, directed by Lou Ye.

Notes:

1. Lou Ye(娄烨), director. Cloud in the wind/Shadow Play(风中有朵雨做的云). Film Post, 2019.

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