A Touch of Sin 2013
Distributed by Kino Lorber Edu, 333 West 39 St, Suite 503, New York, NY 10018; 212-629-6880
Produced by Shozo Ichiyama
Directed by Zhangke Jia
DVD, color, 125 min.
General Adult
Films, Acting, Crime, Aggression, Violence, Storytelling, Labor
Date Entered: 08/22/2014
Reviewed by Linda Yau, Bronx Community College Library, Bronx, NYIn A Touch of Sin, there are four stories with four characters: Dahai, Zhou San, Xiao Yu and Xiao Hui. Each character has a story of survival and a conflict that would have them reacting in violence to the forces that they view as unsurpassable. A Touch of Sin is a full length movie exploring themes of fate and luck. Within each story, viewers get to see a face of contemporary China, through scenes of rural and urban living. Survival, prostitution, corruption, blackmail, illicit activities are all involved.
A Touch of Sin’s fictional accounts can make evening news headlines. Every negatively felt human interaction is a possible catalyst for violence.
This film is recommended for public library collections where there is a general adult population. It will resonate well with people of the same ethnic background, but it can lead to an eye opening realization for adults who enjoy watching artistic thoughtful foreign films with darker themes. A Touch of Sin won Best Screen Play at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013.