Yi ge dou bu neng shao (Not one Less) - review

The Chinese director Zhang Yimou has gained international popularity with his ever more colorful and luscious productions. But one of his early films, the Story of Qiu-Ju, is set in a small rural community. In it, Qiu-Ju is faced with the reality of city life when she tries to get justice for her husband. The movie isn't colorful or luscious; it just shows the harsh and ugly world that is impoverished provincial China. Zhang Yimou's newest movie, Not One Less, is once again set in contemporary China and follows the 13-year-old primary school teacher Wei, who's directly confronted with pupils fleeing her class to earn money for their poor families. She follows one of the 'escapees' into the city and begins a determined and seemingly futile search for him. But with a little help from her fellow man in the form of a TV station director, she not only finds the boy back, but also gains enough publicity to have the school improved. On the one hand, it's a heartwarming story with a fuzzy happy ending. On the other hand, there's a cynical undertone, and the Chinese viewer is presented with the tough facts of provincial poverty. Zhang Yimou has now attained the status of national superhero, which means that he can criticize the government somewhat, without fear of direct censorship. In some way, he seems to say, justice is as hard to find today as when Qiu-Ju was a young woman, ten years ago.