Podcasts about xu zheng

What do Indians Think of China in 2023? How is the relationship between China and India? 2023年印度人如何看待中国？中国跟印度的国际关系如何？ Today, we are delighted to have the Principal of India China Academy, Nishith Hanming, join us. Nishith's journey with Chinese language and culture began during his studies in China, where he lived and traveled to various parts of the country, fostering a deep passion for Chinese language and culture. Upon returning to India, he dedicated himself to promoting Chinese language education and founded the India China Academy, making significant contributions to the exchange between the two countries. He has also participated in the Chinese Proficiency Competition (汉语桥) and had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned Chinese actor Xu Zheng in the popular film "Dying to Survive" (我不是药神). Let's dive into his fascinating story together! 今天，我们非常荣幸邀请到中印学院（India China Academy）的校长，印度人唐汉明（Nishith Hanming）。汉明因为留学与中国结缘，在中国各地居住和旅游，对中文和中国文化充满了热爱。回国后，他致力于发展印度的中文教育，并创立了中印学院，为两国之间的交流做出了巨大贡献。他还曾参加汉语桥汉语大赛，并在著名电影《我不是药神》中扮演一位印度司机，与中国著名演员徐峥合作。让我们一起倾听他的精彩故事！

Script: https://tcmpodcast.me/episode-03-dating-as-a-digital-nomad/ From the very beginning, the ancient China remained directly or closely sacrificial. It is unfortunate but ancient China was built upon sacrifice. Sacrificial elements were of utmost meaning in the ancient China. Very alike European cultures, ancient and medial China followed the evolution from blood sacrifice to non-blood, re-presented as it is believed “morally correct” sacrifice, and to the ethical systems, such as Taoism and Confucianism, that evolved from it. The status of individuals in ancient China was determined by the perceived degree of his or her association with the supernatural. In ancient China, supernatural capabilities were common to virtually all Chinese medical doctors. They all had supernatural capabilities that were all documented in medical texts. Shang dynasty (1766-1046 BCE), sacrifice consisted in humans and animals and, to a lesser extent, wine and food, and as practiced later in Japan, tools, weapons and clothing. There is clear evidence of a shamanic culture existing in early Asian civilization, and many shamanistic practices are believed to lie at the foundation of Chinese Medicine. By the sixth century B.C., the link between shamans and the medical practitioner was clear. Confucius is quoted as having said that “a man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician”. Shaman - wu 巫 is a person who can mediate within the powers of nature. Shamans are viewed as bridges between natural and the spiritual world. Shamanism dates back to 40-100 thousand years ago, and is considered to be the oldest spiritual and healing practice known to humankind. Virtually all cultures around the world evolved from shamanic cultures. Most shamans begin their spiritual paths during a life-threatening illness, having started a spiritual journey and communication with the gods, spirits and ancestors which in return later become the source of their powers. After recovering from the illness, they go through a ceremonial practice of cleansing. Archaeological excavations have found records of the shamanistic use of divination dating back to Shang dynasty (c.1766 – c.1050 B.C.)... Link: https://www.meer.com/en/44155-shamanism-in-chinese-medicine Religious practice in ancient China dates back over 7,000 years ago. Long before the Confucius, Lao Zi and the Buddha got accepted and developed philosophical and spiritual teachings, the people believed, developed and worshipped personifications of nature and concepts like "wealth" or "fortune" which eventually developed into a religion. Such thoughts and beliefs still influence religious practices today. Evidence suggests Chinese mythological symbolism from the 12th century BC carved in the Oracle bone scripts. Legend of creation were passing down for over a thousand years before was written in books such as Classic of Mountains and Seas 山海經 (4 BC - 2 BC). The first writer to record the myth of Pangu was Xu Zheng 徐整 during the Three Kingdoms period (220 – 280 AD). Pangu 盘古 was the first God – Creator, equivalent to concept of God found in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Pangu is creator and founder of the Heavens and the Earth. Creation story goes as follow: In the beginning of time, there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. This chaos coalesced into a black cosmic egg for about 18,000 years. Within it, Pangu was born inside of this egg, and the perfectly opposed principles of Yin and Yang became balanced. Having been realized he was trapped within it, Pangu woke up from the egg. Info: www.tcmpodcast.me

W drugiej odsłonie podcastu rozmawiamy o wyboistym i bardzo ciekawym sezonie w chińskich kinach. Tamtejszym filmowcom z pewnością przybyło sporo siwych włosów, ale koniec końców rynek potwierdził swoją dobrą kondycję. Rozmawiamy o odwołanych premierach, ingerencjach cenzury, spektakularnych przebojach, filmach patriotycznych i losach kina niezależnego.  Filmy odcinka: "Better Days" (reż. Derek Tsang, Chiny 2019) "My People, My Country" (reż. Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, Wen Muye, Chiny 2019) "Nezha" (reż. Yu Yang, Chiny 2019) "One Second" (reż. Zhang Yimou, Chiny, data premiery nieznana) "Wandering Earth" (reż. Frant Gwo, Chiny 2019)    

LA CHRONIQUE CINE, mercredi et vendredi à 9h et 20h. Jeanne Beyrand nous parle des sorties des films. Cette semaine, deux films à l'affiche "Les Eternels" de Jia Zhangke avec Zhao Tao, Fan Liao et Xu Zheng et "Wardi" film d'animation de Mats Grorud.

【微信公众平台】搜索“英语口语每天学”，获取独家免费英语学习资料【新浪微博】@笨老撕Dying to Survive [字面意思] 努力地生存下来[电影名字] 《我不是药神》Dying to Survive is based on the real-life story of a Chinese leukemia patient who bought cheap but unproven cancer medicine from India for 1000 Chinese cancer sufferers in 2004.《我不是药神》根据一名白血病患者的真实故事改编。故事讲的是在2004年的时候，这名病人从印度为1000名白血病患者代购便宜但是未经核验的抗癌药物。Smuggle v. 走私Cheng stops smuggling because of the risks involved. 程勇（剧中徐峥扮演）因为担心风险，所以就不再走私药物了。Cover v. 报销,承保That medicine wasn't covered at the time under national health insurance.那种药在当时还不在国家健康保险的报销范围内。Rating n. 评分On Douban, Dying to Survive has a rating of 9/10 from over 100,000 users.在豆瓣上，超过10万用户给《我不是药神》打了9分。Fake drugs n. 假药The man was arrested and charged with selling fake drugs.那个男的被捕，罪名是贩卖假药。今日挑战选词填空并翻译写在留言处和大家分享Cheng ___ by Xu Zheng, a well-known Chinese comedic actor ___ co-produced the film with Ning Hao.A. is playing…thatB. is played…whoC. played…whichD. plays…who

【微信公众平台】搜索“英语口语每天学”，获取独家免费英语学习资料【新浪微博】@笨老撕Dying to Survive [字面意思] 努力地生存下来[电影名字] 《我不是药神》Dying to Survive is based on the real-life story of a Chinese leukemia patient who bought cheap but unproven cancer medicine from India for 1000 Chinese cancer sufferers in 2004.《我不是药神》根据一名白血病患者的真实故事改编。故事讲的是在2004年的时候，这名病人从印度为1000名白血病患者代购便宜但是未经核验的抗癌药物。Smuggle v. 走私Cheng stops smuggling because of the risks involved. 程勇（剧中徐峥扮演）因为担心风险，所以就不再走私药物了。Cover v. 报销,承保That medicine wasn't covered at the time under national health insurance.那种药在当时还不在国家健康保险的报销范围内。Rating n. 评分On Douban, Dying to Survive has a rating of 9/10 from over 100,000 users.在豆瓣上，超过10万用户给《我不是药神》打了9分。Fake drugs n. 假药The man was arrested and charged with selling fake drugs.那个男的被捕，罪名是贩卖假药。今日挑战选词填空并翻译写在留言处和大家分享Cheng ___ by Xu Zheng, a well-known Chinese comedic actor ___ co-produced the film with Ning Hao.A. is playing…thatB. is played…whoC. played…whichD. plays…who

China's movie market has been expanding for some time now. A year ago, people were feeling slightly regrettable when total annual box office income failed to pass the 30 billion yuan threshold. This year by December 3rd, a 40 billion yuan record has been set and China's home-made movies account for nearly 60% of the total. Above all, China's 3D fantasy adventure film "Monster Hunt" became the country's highest-grossing film in July, beating international box office powerhouse "Furious 7".In the year 2015, China's movie industry not only achieved gratifying income figures, they've also made progress in an all-around manner.First and foremost, infrastructure building continues to generate exciting results, bringing the total number of cinema screens in the country to somewhere near 31,000. Currently the overall attendance rate stays around 15%, but the surplus seats stand ready to accommodate box office explosions, which are happening on a more regular basis in recent years.Most of the new facilities are being built in smaller cities or townships, where a new cinema attracts more moviegoers on average than a new cineplex in downtown Beijing. The increase in their number is also tipping the balance in China's movie market. While previously the urban dwellers footed almost all the bills, now small town young adults are empowered to change the way movies are made in this country.A typical example is how youth-centric stories are giving way to comedies. Suddenly China's storywriters have waken up to the possibility that maybe in the small cities, not every young man has lost the love of his life when the girl immigrate to a foreign country, and not every woman can bask in the favor of her young, handsome billionaire of a boss - when that does happen it is usually a middle-aged man, short and rotund and married with kids. Petty sentiment and fake melancholy have no currency among the small city dwellers, who simply want to enjoy some hearty laugher after a day's hard work.For that reason, comedy is the safest of all genres in which filmmakers are willing to invest their resources. Actor-turned-director Xu Zheng, who has kept impeccable track records in both roles, staged an ambitious comeback in "Lost in Hong Kong," which made the list of Top 3 earners, despite fierce competition from another comedy film and this year's No. 5 earner "Goodbye Mr. Loser."The favor of small town young adults propelled more titles to make headlines which otherwise could have remained obscure among the hundreds of low-budget stories cobbled up by amateur filmmakers. Chief among them is "Wolf Warriors," directed by actor Wu Jing. Mr. Wu is a talented martial artist and has a face not half bad, somehow his career as an actor never seem to take off. His first film in the director's chair depicts a hunt for foreign spies and features note-worthy action sequences, but the film's undisguised demonstration of patriotism follows the narrative of the past century. The stylish young men loitering in Beijing's Sanlitun will frown upon it, but they couldn't stop the film from causing a moderately big bang in the market.The potential and appetite of small town young adults therefore appeared on the radar of Chinese filmmakers, who didn't bother to figure out what this sizable group of consumers want the most. Their standard approach is to build on something that has already stood the test. "Dior's Man" is a popular show inspired by Germany sketch comedy "Knallerfrauen" and is streamed exclusively on China's video portals. Despite content that some may consider vulgar, it is nonetheless a well executed and creative show. So when the same crew came up with a film project "Jian Bing Man," they rocked the market by grossing more than 1.1 billion yuan.The source of inspiration is not limited to video content. Best-selling cartoon novel "Go Away Mr. Tumor" about a cartoonist's fight against cancer has warmed many hearts over the years, now a movie of the same name has been made starring actress Bai Baihe and actor Daniel Wu. Strictly speaking, the engineered story is not perfect, but it carries every bit of the late cartoonist's creative genius and optimistic spirit and should be considered a worthy tribute to the girl who offered a valuable message to every willing listener.Perhaps the most convincing example is to be found in the novel "Ghost Blows out the Light," a story about tomb-raiders so popular among Chinese internet users that two film adaptations have been made and screened this year. "Mojin - The Lost Legend" premiered in late December and is still going strong in the box office towards the end of the year. This adaptation boasts an A-list cast and spectacular setting that recreates the mysterious atmosphere described in the original story. While this adaption by Director Wuershan is considered the more successful of the two in narrative and in box office income, Director Lu Chuan's interpretation is more monumental in a different sense.Indeed, Lu Chuan's "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" represents the highest grade of visual effect in Chinese films, up to the standard of Hollywood blockbuster films. The long shots bring up the striking beauty of a desert setting, much like "Mad Max: Fury Road." And the animated beasts would have been even more "flawless" if only the actors and actresses he hired were less green.The level of visually enhanced spectacle in "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" is only matched by that in Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain," where a Chinese soldier in the 1940s braved the same amount of make-believe bullets and explosions as Steve Rogers in Marvel's Captain America. Behold, it is China's own superhero story!And we have to talk about the animation film "Monkey King: Hero is back" when we talk about special effects. This tight-budget animation was only possible to achieve a 956 million yuan income because director Tian Xiaopeng insisted on quality control. Throughout the meagerly-funded seven-year project many crew members turned their backs and walked away, but the director's persistence led to the birth of the best Chinese animation film in decades. Many moviegoers, overwhelmed by its lively imagery, volunteered to promote the film in their friendly circles, but its portrayal of a fierce warrior who has it powers in check is the most impressive interpretation of the classic text.But the year 2015 is not just about the small city young adults, the market demand and the box office ranking. Filmmakers focused on expressing their own ideas are also getting their voices heard. Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-hsien's martial arts film “The Assassin” was honored with a Best Director title at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. His efforts created a chance for willing viewers to live a story written by Tang Dynasty novelists. There is no way of knowing if the film speaks the truth about Tang Dynasty people's lives, but it certainly feels like reading the novels.Another director devoted to self-expression is Jia Zhangke, who seems quite obsessed with the place he was born, most of his stories happen in a small town named Fenyang in Central China's Shanxi Province. In "Mountains May Depart," Mr. Jia ventured outside his familiar territory into a wider space-time reality and sought to capture the unspeakable loneliness that haunts people unblessed with love. Jia's command of every single element in his narrative is unmatched by hardly any of his Chinese peers, but his step outside familiar terrain did not land as smoothly as one would expect from someone of his talent and calibre.The last entry is my personal favorite. "The Master" is Xu Haofeng's third attempt at self-expression. The lost world of martial artists is a recurring theme in Xu Haofeng's stories, Wang Kar Wai tried to adapt it in "The Grand Master" and ended up showing off his cinematographer's skills, Chen Kaige tried to adapt it in "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" and ended up discrediting himself and his cast members, no one understands the quaint mindset of Xu Haofeng's characters better than Xu Haofeng himself, and this time he's learnt some new tricks to avoid boring his viewers. The realist fighting style and snappy pacing proved an effective formula on modern moviegoers.Movies such as "The Assassin," "Mountains May Depart" and "The Master" don't get a lot of time slots in the schedule books, because they are much too quiet to induce laughter. A pessimist would loath the dominance of small town young adults and a rampant profit-seeking culture in the movie industry, but in 2015 Chinese filmmakers have come a long way to improve their products in various aspects, in time the viewers will surely follow suit and cultivate their own tastes, we only need to take it one step at a time.

Since the beginning of October, China's film market has been dominated by local films. Normally the box office figures reveal little beyond the capricious tastes of Chinese moviegoers, but this time the disparity among the forerunners can serve as an indicator of some sort, or at least as a lesson for certain filmmakers.Top earner "Lost in Hong Kong" is the work of actor and director Xu Zheng, whose ingenuity and unblemished record in the market guaranteed attractive content, generous funding and efficient publicity campaign. Second placed "Goodbye Mr. Loser" is based on a popular stage comedy, whose straightforward storyline has now reached a nationwide audience. Both films have accumulated more than 1 billion yuan each, leading by a large margin the third place contender "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," whose income of over 650 million yuan seems slightly out of proportion with public expectations."Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" director Lu Chuan is an established figure in the business known for his willingness to experiment. His last outing "The Last Supper" has been habitually considered as a stain on his record, but was nonetheless a rather innovative and stylish interpretation of historical events. His new creation is loosely based on best-selling novel "Ghost Blows out the Light," but for local policy reasons, the original story about tomb raiders and superstition had to be heavily redacted. Lu Chuan's approach to the tricky plot was to overthrow the premise completely. Instead of ghosts and tomb raiders, Lu Chuan wrote a new story about aliens and explorers. This can't be good news for the fans of the original novel, but it seems the director is not keen on pleasing first-time viewers either, since he insists on rubbing the audience his own way.But in this case, Lu's way is similar to that of Michael Bay. Expending hardly any noticeable effort on telling a convincing story, the filmmakers have exhausted every bit of their capacity for post production. What they achieve is visual grandeur that looks rather expensive. Huge behemoths lurking under water, flaming bats torching people to ashes, vicious trolls pushing everyone to the last stand, plus the stunning beauty of China's wild frontier, all together 1500 shots underwent intensive editing to bring up the wow effect.But quite surprisingly, this movie which looks rather expensive was built on a moderate budget of less than 100 million yuan. Perhaps the affordable cast contributed to the cost management. Among young actors and actresses such as Mark Chao, Feng Li, Li Chen and Tiffany Tang, the only A-lister is Yao Chen, who seems to have been hijacked by the rest of the cast members and taken to a mysterious land of mindless wanderers.The emphasis on the images has lead to the best special effects money can buy, but also a failure to exploit a very popular text. Recently Chinese filmmakers have developed a fondness for adaptable best-selling stories, but they must realize that alone is not guarantee for success. As for Lu Chuan, it is fine to continue experimenting, but following the steps of Michael Bay won't be necessary.

For Chinese cinema-goers, the 2014 National Day Holiday is perhaps all about Huang Bo. In Peter Chan's "Dearest", which hits the cinemas on September 25th, the Chinese actor plays a divorced father traveling all over the country looking for a kidnapped son. It is a tear jerking semi-documentary based on a true story, yet Huang is not able to deliver his knock-out punch, due to the film's unsatisfactory narrative. But that's okay. Since September 30th, he also appears in Ning Hao's road trip comedy "Breakup Buddies". And quite coincidentally, he takes on the character of a divorced man once again. Unlike "Dearest" which tries to relieve viewers of their tears, "Breakup Buddies" is hilarious almost to the point of vulgarity. At the same time it incorporates the sarcasm of a realist and the compassion of a parish priest. Yes, this is the same Ning Hao who made "Crazy Stone" and "Silver Medalist", which were mostly characterized by realism and black humor. Starting from "No Man's Land", the director began to deviate from his previous style. In 2013, when the black comedy was finally released in Chinese cinemas, many viewers, who were accustomed to the dark undertone of Ning Hao's films were surprised by its somewhat happy ending. They believe it was the result of a compromise at the end of a four-year struggle for a screening permit. But with the release of "Breakup Buddies", fans and critics begin to think twice. "Breakup Buddies" is much more than a theatre of absurdity. It is of course immensely fun to see two best friends stumbling into all kinds of crazy stuff. Huang Bo and Xu Zheng's characters are thrown into a torrent of extraordinary encounters involving inaccessible teens, beautiful lesbians, fractious prostitutes and ineffectual mobsters. It is equally amusing to appreciate Ning Hao and storywriter Yue Xiaojun's interpretation of mid-life crisis. After a series of misfortunes on the road, Huang Bo's character finally decides to walk out of the shadow of a failed marriage and face up to his problems. It is a hard-won revelation, so Huang Bo is given plenty of opportunities to show off his skills. During the process, Ning Hao also flexes some muscles, touting his mastery of multiple-narrative and adding an element of surprise to what could been a loosely-connected travel log. "Breakup Buddies" is the director's second happy-ending story in a row. Critics may wonder why the director walks out the shadow of his previous styles. But I bet most viewers would simply content themselves with a good story.

"The Great Hypnotist", or Cui Mian Da Shi, is a fascinating thriller produced by dedicated filmmakers. It would have been the perfect story if it wasn't deliberately simplified to meet the demands of lazy viewers. Sadly, this nice gesture has not been appreciated by film critics. The story is essentially a battle of wits between a highly successful psychotherapist and his female patient. The girl claims to be disturbed by her ability to see ghosts, but the therapist, being a confident man of science, insists on uncovering the secrets behind the patient's state of mind. After an excruciating, late-night session, both the shrink and his client get over their respective problems and resolve some old issues from years ago. In "The Great Hypnotist", director Chen Zhengdao revisits a familiar genre and proves that he hasn't lost his edge after making a shift to romantic comedy. Despite the widespread promotion that has made the plot slightly predictable, the director still manages to grip even the most guarded viewers with an intense opening. That intense feeling is continuously inspired and nurtured throughout the film until the last moment in the big reveal. The thrilling effect is carefully built up thanks to the dedication of cameraman Charlie Lam and whoever designed and built the setting. The story mostly takes place in the unconscious minds of the leading characters, so the cinematographer makes use of various types of lighting and colors to create stress and suspension. The effect is also enhanced by well-placed furniture in an old house, and a dozen distinctive designs here and there, for example, a unique pattern on the floor and a door with a sophisticated carving. All these elements are presented with abundant montage to form a sense of mystery, which is strengthened by lack of knowledge about hypnosis on the part of most ordinary movie-goers. It is exactly the unfamiliar nature of the subject that has botched the whole thing. In fear that the viewers might not be able to keep up, the screenwriter Ren Peng deliberately gives away hints early in the film, and it is particularly exhausting when he tries to explain everything in a flashback near the end. The unnecessary effort certainly helps the viewers understand the story, but it also takes away the fun of hours of brooding and speculating. So for those who easily lose their patience, the last part of the film may be difficult to sit through, despite good performances from Xu Zheng and Karen Mok. But since the viewers probably got pretty nervous in the first half, they might as well take the time to restore their composure; after all, no one wants to drive home thinking about ghosts, or allegations of ghosts.

For the last three weeks, we've been talking about some pretty serious movies. Watching Life of Pi, 1942 or The Last Supper is not the most cheerful way to spend an easy afternoon over the weekend. Well, the producers of "Lost in Thailand" couldn't have picked a better time. It is high time that Chinese viewers be presented with a decent comedy. I can't even recall the last time I shared a hearty laugh at a cinema, not since Men in Black 3 perhaps, and that was half a year ago. In this case, it is only natural that "Lost in Thailand", being an above-average Chinese comedy, rakes in loads of money from Chinese viewers. The movie is a sequel to the 2010 box office success "Lost on Journey" and retains a similar storyline about a smart-looking businessman and a simpleminded companion on a journey of frustration and absurdity. The film is still led by a combination of Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang; the stark contrast in their characters is the major source comedy. The mere presence of Wang works miracles for a comedy flick. But this time, their cause is aided by Huang Bo from "Crazy Stone" in 2006. Huang is a powerful actor himself, but his presence in this film is well controlled so as not to cloud the chemistry between the leading Xu and Wang, and, indeed, the three of them managed to keep the viewers entertained. I watched this movie during an early showing on Monday morning with scarcely more than ten people, but laughter never died out in that showing. This is remarkable if you realize that this film is the debut for Xu Zheng as a director. The previous installment directed by Ye Weimin reproduced the annual Diaspora of Chinese migrant workers during the spring festival. In contrast, Xu Zheng sets his story in the South Asian country of Thailand and offers us a taste of the country's exotic scenery and culture. You can't really blame the director for not showing the realities of China since he delivered on a decent comedy, something we've all been wanting for a long time. Let's just wait for what more Director Xu has to offer. Well, that's pretty much my thoughts on the film, minus the surprise ending, which I won't give away here. So, I'll give you my rating instead: "Lost in Thailand" gets a 6.5 out of ten.

My experience with the movie 'Love in a Buff' was not a pleasant one. Mind you, don't be fooled by the English title, it is not a romantic story at all. It is about a woman's painfully unrelenting yet hardly appreciated love for a man who is not mature enough to know his heart's desire. As twisted as it can be, the story also includes a detailed description of how the couple, while on a break, cheat on their respective partners, in the name of 'love.' A sequel to director Ho-Cheung Peng's Level III movie in Hong Kong, the new picture is now set in Beijing. Obviously there have been attempts to integrate certain elements of Beijing culture into this piece, but at the end of the day the film is predominated by Hong Kong characteristics, because the characters venture no further than the modern and metropolitan part of China’s cultural center. The only thing worth appreciating is the acting of Shawn Yue and Miriam Yeung, who also led in the prequel. Miriam Yeung as the self-abusive woman is fully capable of inducing sympathy from the viewers, while the heartless man portrayed by Shawn Yue would certainly set many innocent young ladies on teeth-grinding rage. Unfortunately, their excellent acting might be obliterated by the lengthy and but badly written story. Maybe it is a certain some Hong Kong style that I don't get, but it seems that the movie often strays into lighthearted jokes instead of staying focused on the relationship part. As a result, you may find the movie funny every now and then, but you will always might find it difficult to fully digest the story. To enhance the funny side, the movie also presents many a pretty and ugly faces, whose presence contribute almost nothing to the story but rib-ticklers. Xu Zheng, whose performance we can never have too much of, plays a supporting role that is a break from his normal screen image. And the major supporting female, well, let’s say she is bit controversial with just a weird voice and bold cleavage exhibition. Anyway, if you are in the mood for a night of lighthearted jokes, watch 'Love in a Buff.' But beware, don't get too seriously involved, because you wouldn't want to walk home wondering about the intricacy and madness of love. It is not always true. On my scale from one to ten, 'Love in a Buff' gets a four.

Sometimes development is made through compromise. About four years ago, director Ning Hao's black comedy "No Man's Land" was denied release in Chinese cinemas due to its allegedly exaggerated and unrealistic depiction of the dark side of human nature. Now, after four years of repeated alterations, it is finally being shown in cinemas across China. It is difficult to tell whether the release is a victory for the film industry or its watchdog. On the one hand, the movie watchdog rejected the film based on ideals which are deeply-rooted in Chinese culture. Confucianism does not advocate discussing extraordinary things, feats of strength, disorder or spiritual beings. Likewise, traditional-minded Chinese people also tend to shy away from films that center on sheer malevolence or unpunished crimes. So pictures like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" which jest about crime and violence are rarities in the Chinese movie industry. On the other hand, despite being repeatedly rejected by the authority, the black comedy was eventually released. While most viewers will be laughing their heads off at the film's storyline, I believe that deep down, some will also be able to identify with Ning Hao in his efforts to capture the unwelcome part of human nature. Considering the serious thoughts "No Man's Land" may evoke, the fact that it has been released signifies a kind of development in China's movie industry. The film's storyline is a major strong point, despite some incoherency. However, the biggest setback is the ending, which is set in a completely different tone from the rest of the film and strays far away from the main ideas. In fact, many viewers suspect that this particularly warm ending was added solely for the purpose of ensuring the film's approval for release. The actors and actresses are to be commended for living up to the excellent screenplay, particularly Xu Zheng, who was little known four years ago, but now holds the record as the director of China's best-selling comedy film. Lastly, I'd like to underscore the music. With a black comedy such as this one, director Ning Hao could easily have shaped it like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrel" with light-hearted music. Yet his decision was to create tension and challenge the viewer's nerves. This way, the viewers may have less of a good time, but they will be inspired to contemplate human nature. "No Man's Land" topped China's box office on its first day of release and grossed 140 million yuan in its first week. On a scale from one to ten, it gets an eight.