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Zhang Yimou is probably the most widely-known and acclaimed Chinese director, at least to Western audiences. He made his mark with powerful films such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, and Shanghai
Triad--anti-authoritarian movies that allegorically commented on contemporary Chinese society by examining narratives of the past. In the last few years, however, Zhang's films have become less overtly political and, consequently, smaller. Though I enjoyed Not One Less and The Road Home a great deal, they felt more like chamber pieces than the full-blown operas of his earlier works. And Zhang's pungent political commentary all but vanished..

This trend continues in Zhang's latest movie to open here in Chicago. Even the title, Happy Times, points to its sunnier disposition and more trivial plot. 'Trivial' is of course a loaded word, implying something that might not be worth your time. That's not exactly fair, but Happy Times is certainly the first Zhang film I cannot wholeheartedly endorse.

The movie centers on Zhao (played by Zhao Benshan), a single man approaching late middle age who's desperate to get married. So desperate that he proposes to a woman on their very first date. She's no great catch herself and she readily accepts, with the proviso that their marriage be a grand affair. The problem is that Zhao doesn't have much money but, caught up in the moment, he promises a lavish wedding. Now where is he going to get that kind of cash?

One of his friends suggests that they convert a broken down bus into a lovers' "hotel." The bus is already abandoned in a secluded spot; all they'd have to do is fix it up and young couples would gladly pay for a
spot of privacy. Zhao is skeptical at first, but his friend's prediction proves accurate, and the "Happy Times Hotel" does a booming business. That is, until the authorities go on a beautification project and cart the bus away. And that's the last we ever see of the Happy Times Hotel.

It's a strange narrative move. Why introduce a clever idea only to abandon it fifteen minutes into the movie? Maybe to focus on the relationship between Zhao and his fiancee? That'd be a good choice as Dong Lihua (the woman playing the fiancee) is a wonderful actress in the role of a pushy, brassy middle-aged woman. Unfortunately, her character is merely a caricature--a selfish and evil stepmother right out of Grimm's fairy tales. No, the primary plot thread turns out to be the relationship between Zhao and his fiancee's stepdaughter, a teenage girl named Wu Ying who happens to be blind. Zhao's fiancee dumps the girl on Zhao and forces him to find her a job. But now that the "hotel" is a bust (a fact he can't admit to her stepmother), he has to invent a job. So he and his friends conspire to create a fake massage parlor, but one real enough that a blind girl won't notice. The expected hijinks and moments of pathos ensue. I told you the plot was trivial.at deal, they felt more like chamber pieces than the full-blown operas of his earlier works. And Zhang's pungent political commentary all but vanished.

Unfortunately, Zhang's choice of locales is also disappointing. Whereas the period pieces or rural settings of previous films gave him plenty of opportunities to create gorgeous compositions and work miracles with color, the urban setting of Happy Times is strangely inert. Zhang's trademark use of color is rarely seen, and the images largely lay flat on the screen. The same is true of his latest ingenue, Dong Jie, in the role of the blind girl. While she shares the smile of Gong Li and the physical litheness of Zhang Ziyi, she has little of those actresses' charisma. True, being blind is a difficult role, but it's still a rather lifeless portrayal.

Nonetheless, Happy Times might be worth seeing just to see Zhao Benshan. His performance as a man desperate to get married is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed his interactions with his friends, which feel both
natural and poignant. And though it's predictable that he'll develop a bond with his young charge, their relationship still has moments of great tenderness. There's a wonderful scene when she feels his face to see what he "looks like," as they stand on a street corner. Oblivious to the crowds filing by, the two share a beautiful moment. And a scene near the end of the movie when the two have written letters to each other (hers is actually tape recorded) is genuinely moving. I'm not sure it's worth sitting through the rest of the pabulum, but it wasn't a bad way to get out of Chicago's summertime heat. The movie opens this weekend at the Landmark. 

J. Robert Parks 8/5/2002