Not One Less

“Not One Less” is directed by Zhang Yimou, who is well known for creating artistic films such as Red Sorghum. “Not One Less,” however, is devoid of any theatrical or creative elements. Instead, it focuses on the gripping emotions resonating from the characters and lets the emotional waves impact the audience. I could feel a sense of frustration, desperation, and hopelessness from Wei Minzhi, even though her face was pretty much a blank slate. “Not One Less” weaves in typical elements, such as perseverance and poverty, throughout the simply filmed story of a 13-year-old substitute teacher attempting to keep her class together.

At a glance, Wei Minzhi seems like an ignorant, stubborn young girl with a perfectly blank face. Well, that’s exactly how she is. The person she is subbing for, Teacher Gao, tells her that he doesn’t want any of his students missing because many students have already left. The film actually touches on the issue of poverty in China. Many children living in the countryside had to leave school to earn money. You would think that a higher education, as we are taught in America, would eventually lead to a higher paying job; yet, these children are either helping their families on farms or roaming the city streets for a job. It's unfortunate that these people have to place a higher priority on earning money.

When one of her students, Zhang Huike, leaves school to find a job in the city, she hunts him down. Zhang Huike comes from a typical impoverished family. His family is in debt; his mother is sick; his father is dead; so as the remaining capable working body, Zhang has to find a job. This in turn causes Wei Minzhi to take a long and arduous journey to get him back to school. Her journey with the help of her students is a classic example of working together towards a common goal can pay off. She and the students devise plans to earn enough money for a bus ticket. They calculate how many bricks they must move and how many hours. They pool (well, she takes) all their money together. Her students help her sneak onto the bus when they are a few yuan short of a ticket. And when she gets kicked off the bus, she doesn’t quit! She walks to the city instead of turning back. I, too, was rooting for them. Each of the scenes evokes warm fuzzy feelings of determination and happiness when working together!

Wei Minzhi’s unwavering search for Zhang Huike is a tear jerker. Her multiple failed attempts at finding him only evokes further emotional support for her from the audience. When she was trying to find the T.V. station manager, she slept on the streets and asked person after person for the station manager. Her attempts were rewarded when her pleas for Zhang Huike to come back to school were broadcasted. Definitely illustrates how perseverance is rewarded (for the most part). “Not One Less” is an excellent example of how films don’t need special effects to create an appealing film. It was realistic with contemporary issues and believable characters. The characters’ emotions and diligence are enough to captivate the audience.