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发表于 2005-12-28 00:15:00
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<DIV class=articledate>Feb. 18, 2005</DIV>
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<DIV class=articlehead>Season of the Horse</DIV>
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<DIV class=articledate>By Richard James Havis</DIV>
<P>ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands -- "Season of the Horse," a small-scale drama about a Mongolian horseman dealing with the problems of modernization, has the potential to be an art house success. <BR clear=none><BR clear=none>It's touching without being sentimental, exotic without insulting its characters and socially aware without being polemical. Produced by Genghis Khan Films at China's Inner Mongolia Film Studios, and lacking any international representation, there's a danger that the film will disappear without a trace -- which would be a shame. <BR clear=none><BR clear=none>The story revolves around the problems that nomadic Mongolian horsemen are facing because of the Chinese government's attempts to urbanize the region. The vast grasslands used to be owned by no one, so the horsemen could move around and graze their livestock at will. But the government has recently been fencing off the land and parceling it out to villages. The horsemen are being encouraged to give up their traditional nomadic way of life and settle down. The problem is that they don't have the necessary skills -- or the desire -- to take up an urban lifestyle. This is leading to a kind of mass despair.<BR clear=none><BR clear=none>Ning Cai -- a well-respected actor who wrote, directed and stars -- tells the story by concentrating on difficulties between herdsman Wurgen and his hard-pressed wife. New government regulations are making it hard for Wurgen to make a living in the age-old way of herding livestock. His wife wants him to sell his horse and use the cash to send their young son to school. He refuses, wishing to cling to the ancient ways that he loves. Finally he succumbs to his wife's wishes -- but is then outraged to see the horse being used in a performance at a disco. Wurgen reclaims his horse with the help of a painter of Genghis Khan memorabilia but ultimately has to give up his traditional way of life.<BR clear=none><BR clear=none>"Season of the Horse" is a well-structured piece that effortlessly ties the political and personal strands of the story together. Modernization is visualized powerfully by trucks cutting through the grasslands on new roads. Some strong imagery is carefully embedded in the narrative: The horseman looks strong and proud in some ancient armor he dons for a portrait, and the scene of the poor horse onstage at the disco is both heart-wrenching and politically charged. A final shot of the loyal steed making its way into the city to find its owner is magical.<BR clear=none><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/search/article_display.jsp?schema=&vnu_content_id=1000809428" target="_blank" >http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/search/article_display.jsp?schema=&vnu_content_id=1000809428</A></P>
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