Kuang ye shi dai

A mega ambitious, massively budgeted and essentially experimental ode to cinema, Bi Gan’s KUANG YE SHI DAI tackles a medium some consider dead head on—if you’re one of those people, here’s the film that’ll bring it back to life. The bonkers structuring device involves the time-travelling journey of a so-called “Fantasmer”, who has elected to abnegate immortality by continuing to dream (where dream = cinema), even as “The Big Other” tries to awaken him to keep time linear. But KUANG YE SHI DAI intentionally sacrifices comprehension for constant formal invention. Its phantasmagorical dream logic unfolds over six parts, each of which represents a distinct period in cinematic history and one of the senses (as well as the mind), which are mapped in turn onto China’s journey through the last millennium. At various points in this monumental work, Bi Gan locates a 35mm film projector inside of NOSFERATU – EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS (1922), repatriates THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947) and shoots a Wong Kar-wai style neon noir set on New Year’s Eve 1999 in one bravura half-hour-long take, supposedly because he ran out of money. Wong is not an insignificant touchstone, as Bi Gan has already bypassed the Hong Kong legend as China’s foremost stylist. (Mark Peranson)

Bi Gan: KAILI BLUES (2015), LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (2018), ART COLLEGE 1994 (2023, K)