That’s Life in Beijing Bicycle

Beijing Bicycle is such a simple movie, but it contains many complex elements that not everyone understands. Poverty, or simply the lack of funds necessary to survive, is a very prominent issue and comes with different levels. We follow two main characters in the film, Guei and Jian, as they maneuver about Beijing and a bicycle.

Guei and Jian have similar situations but ultimately different lifestyles. Guei is poor and hails from the countryside. He is living in Beijing to work and earn a living. He needs a bicycle to simply do his job, which is just to deliver packages. Jian, on the other hand, comes from a middle class family. He attends a presumably private school. He wants a bicycle to impress his girlfriend and classmates. Their needs and lives clash.

After successfully receiving a letter to deliver for a client, Guei returns outside to deliver the letter. He, however, finds that his bicycle is missing. At this moment, the seemingly search ensues and the lives of the two boys become intertwined. Unfortunately, Guei undergoes severe beatings and peer pressure as he attempts to reclaim his bike. In his arduous search, he tracks down Jian, who has bought the bike using his family’s money. Jian seems like such a selfish child for stealing his family’s money, but, coming from a similar background as Jian, I understand his situation. My parents, like many Chinese parents, were very strict and wanted me and my siblings to achieve the highest grades. If I didn’t get an A, I was scolded. But, because we were middle class (in which we were not necessarily poor but able to get by), we did not indulge in many materialistic objects. My mother always told me that I had to get good grades and a higher education to live a better life in the future. But as a child in school, I was surrounded by all my peers who had these things that I did not. I was envious and felt pressured to be like them and have the same things. I think that Jian felt the same way. He felt the pressures of society pounding his back and succumbed. Understandably, his actions were very petty, but what he felt, envy and jealousy, were very human, and I cannot criticize him for being human.

I am also partial to Guei’s situation. My mother came from the countryside and had to work hard to earn a living when she came to America. So when Guei’s bicycle was being beaten, my heart was in my throat. I felt such deep sympathy for Guei. It is very difficult to see your livelihood, your only means of earning a living, taken away from you. When he hit the man with the brick, he was no different from Jian. He was being human, and his survival instincts kicked in.

This film shows the lives of two very human characters. While their backgrounds are different, their instincts to survive are very similar, just in different contexts. I think this film does very well in illustrating how difficult it is to maneuver and survive in such a society.