The social impact of China’s capitalist economic transformation--a common theme in filmmaker Wang Bing’s lengthy documentaries (see review of Three Sisters in VL-9/17)--is at the center of Bing’s two-hour-plus Bitter Money, which chronicles the experiences of rural folk coming to the city (here Huzhou, outside Shanghai) to work long hours for minimal wages in clothing factories. The film begins with a long sequence showing two young cousins enjoying a final meal with their families before boarding an overcrowded train that takes them to Huzhou, where they secure sweatshop jobs. The focus then shifts to Ling, a woman who demands money from the abusive husband who kicked her out of their house; he responds by threatening her in front of his friends, who only feebly object. The camera then moves into the workshops and dormitories, briefly following other workers, including a burly man whose drinking imperils his continued employment. Bitter Money closes with finished garments being forced into bundles for shipment to market. While there are many striking moments here, the sheer number of figures Wang follows, coupled with a penchant for detached and distant camerawork, tend to diminish the film’s overall power. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Bitter Money
(2016) 162 min. In Mandarin w/English subtitles. DVD: $350. Icarus Films. PPR. Volume 33, Issue 3
Bitter Money
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