Platform,

Platform, directed by Jia Zangke, premiered in 2000.
As soon as its debut, the movie was welcomed and presented as a “sophisticated and cinematic poem about time, change, and coming of the age” and "defining piece of a generation". As for its director, cinema critics all over the world gave him recognition and a place along the masters of Chinese Cinema. Nevertheless after three hours of watching the movie, the word “end” was welcomed with a sight of relief by most of the students in the room; myself included.
The movie was a breakthrough in the sense that it touched the area of transition between 1979 and 1989; transition from the madness of Mao’s Cultural Revolution to the money frenzy brought by Deng Xiaoping’s “Socialism with Modern Characteristics” (in other words: capitalism). The story illustrates this period through the eyes of the young individuals of a performing troop. The death of Mao induced a change in dynamics of the troop. Previously, the group was a tool of propaganda used to “educate the masses”. Everything they were involved in and/or responsible for was decided following Mao’s desires. At the contrary during the new era, the members of the troop have to find for themselves what they want to do and what direction to take in order to be able to survive as artists.The movie reflects this period of transition by long periods of awkward silence, absence of transition and untold sufferings and feelings which act as (cultural?)barriers for the spectator to relate. Fortunately a few beautiful scenes save the movie from being desperately long.
It is said that “silence speaks louder than words”, but in the case of the movie, I found the silence awkward and frustrating. It exists some silence of beauty, of sadness, of incomprehension, of faith. But here, the omnipresent silence makes it oppressing and underlines the uncertainty. It seems to indicate the lack of expression of the people, who try to lead their life but don't know how to give it a direction. Those confused silence make it hard for the viewer to understand what is happening in the mind of the protagonists and thus difficult to relate. In addition, silence and the lack of transition brings the impression of untold sufferings and untold emotions. The snow falling and the music remind the viewer that the time goes by, but the protagonists seem to be trapped in an uncomfortable present. For example, two of the member form a couple: Zhong Ping and Zhang June. Arrives a moment where Zhong has to take the decision to get an abortion. Zhong, Zhang and the director of the troop can be seen in an empty hospital. After first chickening out of the abortion, Zhong finally enters a room, suggesting that she did go for it. In the following scene, the same members minus the director of the troop and add Cui Mingliang, Yuin Ruijuan(the other main protagonists) and a friend are found playing mahjong in a room. Zhong stand on the side, sitting on a bed. She appeared to be disturbed and screams several times unsucessfully for Zhang to stop playing. The other characters keep also on playing, barely giving her any attention. The following scene show the group as a whole on the road again and no words are uttered about the abortion. There are no transitions. As a spectator we are conscious that Zhong made a life-changing decision and that she must be still shocked and traumatized by the abortion, that it is an ordeal in her young life. Yet it is not developed. The viewer doesn't know whether or not the other members know the fact but nobody seems to be willing to help her, all seem lethargic and insensitive to her call. Worst, Zhang doesn't seem to take responsibility for his act. The quick change of scenery show that the sufferings rather than being dealt with are buried and that life keeps on going.
Thankfully, amidst the awkward moment, a few beautiful scenes emerge, such as the scene with the truck stuck in the middle of nowhere. The troop is driving to perform in another remote area; they have to go through an empty valley surrounded by mountains. But the truck breaks down. Everybody gets off. Cui Mingliang get up and sits behind the drivers wheel and put a tape of music influenced by the West. It reminded me of one of those American road trip movies, with the loneliness of the empty landscape emphasized by the rock music. The lyrics of the song goes along the protagonists situation and reflects the whole movie, they are longing for something to happen to direct their lives. It says "The long and empty platform, the song that's never ending, the long wagons are carrying m short lived love, the long and empty platform, lonely we can only wait, all my love is out-bond, nothing on the n-bond train, there the train is coming, my heart waits, waits forever". And then a train goes by and they all go after it.

In my opinion, the movie is easier to watch if one has prepared intellectually for it, in the sense that readings have been done to understand Jia Zhangke's goal (portrait the transition and the confusion) and to know the period in China's history represented in the movie. Without doing so, it makes it very difficult to relate. The "art and poetry" of the movie is out of reach, replaced by boredom.