Ba Bai

Somewhat long-winded but mostly satisfying war epic uses its claustrophobic confines to give its audience an immediate and visceral understanding of the location. The gruesome spectacle of the war itself playing out in full view of the "have" spectators is an irony that unfortunately goes unexplored, though it adds to the sense of queasy horror during the battle scenes.

Some of this is good, a lot of this is meh. It's another epic over-the-top Chinese production.

The people who claim the characters get no development are wrong. The individuals at the start are a collection of farmers, deserters, rear area troops; in the fire of battle they're forged into a fighting collectivity. They go from cowering and hiding to fighting together like beasts, sacrificing themselves before the eyes of the world. That's the arc of the story. It's not the individuals, but the unit that is the main character.

Atrocious. Couldn't stand the awful cinema for even half an hour.

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