Movie Review: The sweep of history courses through Jia Zhangke's ‘Caught By the Tides'

Jia Zhangke's 'Caught by the Tides' is less than two hours long and yet contains nearly a quarter-century of time's relentless march forward.
Few films course with history the way it does in the Chinese master's latest, an epic collage that spans 21 years. Jia undertook the film during the pandemic, assembling a mix of fiction and documentary, including images from his earlier films as well as newly shot scenes.
That might sound like a mishmash kind of moviemaking. But for Jia, the preeminent cinematic chronicler of 21st century China, it's a remarkably cohesive, even profound vessel for capturing what has most interested him as a filmmaker: the tidal wave-sized currents of technological progress and social transmutation that wash over a lifetime.
The high-speed upheavals of modern China are, of course, a fitting setting for such interests. Jia's films are often most expressed in their surroundings — in vistas of infrastructure that dwarf his protagonists. Fans of Jia will recognize some from his previous films. For me, there's never been a more moving backdrop from him than the rubble and mass displacement of the Three Gorges Dam project (seen here, as in his 2008 film 'Still Life').
'Caught by the Tides' is ostensibly about Qiaoqiao (Zhao Tao, Jia's wife and muse) and her lover Bin (Li Zhubin), whom she searches for years after a row sent them in different directions. But in 'Caught by the Tides,' these characters are more like life rafts bobbing in expansive waters, making their way aimlessly.
The poetry of 'Caught by the Tides' comes from a grander arc. In one of the film's opening scenes, shot on grainy digital film, women in a Datong city room laugh together, singing old, half-remembered songs. The film's final scenes, set more than two decades later in the southern city of Zhuhai, are more crisply photographed and depict a more impersonal world of smartphones, robots and QR codes. For a moment, Jia even adopts the perspective of a surveillance camera.
Another moment: a shot, from pre-digital times, drifting down a street with men looking back at us, smoking and mildly curious. Cut then to what might be the same street years later, where a woman parades as a model in front of a sprawling shopping mall.
In 'Caught by the Tides,' these changes go unexplained and unspoken. But the evolutions they chart are deeply familiar to anyone who has lived through even some of these years, in China or elsewhere. We see how people once moved differently, spoke differently and sang differently. Progress and loss exist together as one. Zhao and Li age through the film, leaving them weathered, too, by time. A song late in the film goes: 'I can't grasp the warmth we once shared.'
'Caught by the Tides,' a Sideshow and Janus Films release, is unrated by the Motion Picture Association. In Mandarin. Running time: 116 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Forbes

36 minutes ago

• Forbes

‘Squid Game' Season 3: Everything To Know About The Thrilling Final Season

Squid Game S3 Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S3 Prepare to re-enter the twisted arena of Squid Game. The third and final season of the Netflix's popular South Korean drama Squid Game arrives on the streamer this week. Will Player 456 finally defeat the Front Man and end the deadly competition once and for all — or will the former winner trying? Season three will follow Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he grapples with the horrific loss of his best friend in the game. Meanwhile, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), whose true identity was revealed to viewers after infiltrating the game, discreetly moved in the Season 2 finale to shut down the rebellion and restore order to the games. 'Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players' choices will lead to graver consequences with each round,' the official synopsis reads. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is determined to bring the story to its deserved closure in Season 3, which is confirmed to be the final season on Netflix. 'The new season will focus on what Gi-hun can and will do after all his efforts fail,' the director told Tudum. The new episodes will continue after the Season 2 finale, which saw Gi-hun lead a rebellion where many of his allies sadly died. Here's everything you need to know about the third installment, including a refresher on how Season 2 ends, the Season 3 release date, returning cast members, the official trailer and more. When Is Squid Game Season 3 Premiering On Netflix? Squid Game S3 Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S3 Squid Game Season 3 premieres on Thursday, June 26, at 3 a.m. ET / midnight PT on Netflix. All six episodes will be available to stream at once. Warning: Spoilers ahead for the ending of Squid Game Season 2. How Did Squid Game Season 2 End? Squid Game 3 Lee Byung-hun as Front man In Season 2, Player 001 in Squid Game was revealed to be Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), also known as The Front Man. The Front Man disguised himself as a player and befriended Gi-hun by sharing a tragic backstory about how his pregnant wife was ill and how he needed to win the money to save her and their unborn child. Throughout Round 2, Gi-hun and Player 001 form an alliance with other competitors, including Gi-hun's best friend from Season 1, Park Jung-bae, and an ex-marine named Dae-ho. In the explosive finale, Gi-hun and his allies clash with the guards, resulting in a full-on armed rebellion. Among the 100 remaining players, half vote to stay in the competition, while the other half vote to leave. With a second vote on the horizon, the players resort to trying to kill those who did not vote their way. Admist the chaos, Gi-hun and his allies come up with a plan to break into the masked spectators' headquarters. Pretending to be dead, Gi-hun and his friends launch a surprise attack — unaware that the captain had been among them the entire time. Young-il manages to separate from the group and betrays the rebels, killing two of them and faking his own death. He then orders his team to crush the rebellion before shedding his Player 001 tracksuit for his signature black cloak and mask. However, one of the most devastating moments of the finale is the death of Gi-hun's best friend, Jung-bae. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Netflix's Tudum that this was the ideal way to conclude Season 2. 'Audiences are definitely going to be shocked and very sad to see Jung-bae go,' Hwang said. "He's also the only person within the games that Gi-hun can trust and completely rely on.' What Will Squid Game Season 3 Be About? Squid Game Season 3 Heading into the Season 3 premiere, Gi-hun is likely still unaware that Front Man and Young-il are the same person. 'I don't think Gi-hun knows the truth yet,' Lee Jung-jae told Tudum, noting that his character is too busy with 'blaming himself for everything that happened.' According to Netflix Tudum, the third chapter will see Gi-hun at 'his lowest point yet," but Squid Game must go on no matter what. He'll also need to make some pretty big decisions in the next portion of the game, while the surviving players 'are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone's resolve. With each round, their choices lead to increasingly grave consequences.' In-ho is no longer Player 001 but has resumed his role as Front Man. His brother Jun-ho is still searching for the island and is unaware there's a traitor in his group. 'Will Gi-hun make the right decisions, or will Front Man finally break his spirit?' the description concludes. Who's In The Squid Game Season 3 Cast? Squid Game S3 (L to R) Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik, Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja in Squid Game S3 Because there's so much death in Squid Game, only a handful of main characters are set to reprise their roles in Season 3 — so basically, only the surviving players and some other key characters. Here's the list of the returning cast, per Netflix Is There A Trailer For Squid Game Season 3? Squid Game Season 3 At Netflix's Tudum event on May 31, Squid Game stars Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun joined other cast members to celebrate the final season of the show and reveal the trailer for Season 3. Watch the official trailer, which already has 10 million views, below.

The Verge

an hour ago

• The Verge

Apple keeps pulling its own ads

Apple has taken down a new ad just one day after posting it, making it the fourth one removed in just over a year, as spotted earlier by MacRumors. The nearly eight-minute-long ad, titled 'The Parent Presentation,' featured comedian Martin Herlihy giving students advice on how to convince their parents to buy them a Mac. Apple posted the ad on Friday, but it disappeared from YouTube and the company's webpage for college students on Saturday. The iPhone maker also released an accompanying 81-slide presentation template that's supposed to give parents '45 undeniable reasons why a Mac is essential to college,' which still remains available for download on its site. Last May, Apple apologized for its 'Crush!' commercial, which showed a hydraulic press flattening a piano, record player, paint, and other creative tools, only to lift and show its new iPad Pro at the end. It was meant to demonstrate how many creative tasks can be completed with the device, but it sparked widespread backlash instead. Apple pulled the commercial from TV before removing it from YouTube. Months later, Apple pulled a 10-minute ad, called 'Out of Office OOO,' which showed a group of coworkers using Apple products on a business trip in Thailand, after receiving criticism from Thai citizens and lawmakers for portraying the country in a stereotypical and outdated way. Then, in March of this year, Apple took down an iPhone 16 ad with Last of Us star Bella Ramsey. Apple used the ad to show off an AI-upgraded Siri with features that aren't available yet, like recalling the name of someone they met months ago. Unlike the other ads pulled by Apple over the past year, there's no clear reason why 'The Parent Presentation' was taken down — other than some users on social media calling it 'cringe,' or raising questions about who the commercial's target audience was. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment but didn't immediately hear back.

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Video: Baby Shows Right Way To Enjoy Mango & Netizens Couldn't Agree More

Summers usually mean an endless supply of mangoes, and while there may not be a clean way to enjoy the tropical fruit, there's certainly a right way to lose yourself in the sweetness. This video of a baby savoring a ripe mango in pure bliss seemed the ideal way to make it a delightful experience, and netizens couldn't agree more. The little one's messy cleaning up of the stone fruit's pit is the classic approach and possibly the only way to truly enjoy it. A mom documented her baby's adorable mango-eating experience in a viral parenting video, which also serves as a tutorial for viewers on how to enjoy it the right way. It was, without a doubt, one of the greatest moments of Grace Tan's motherhood journey, with her little girl getting the full summer experience. Children are known for their sloppy eating habits, but this kid took it to a whole different level. Moreover, her mom had to prove why the 'mango never stood a chance.' The video showed the first-time mom's point of view while her baby girl delighted in every second of her snacking on the tropical fruit. Somewhat expecting the mess, Tan took all the necessary precautions before handing the little one the gooey mango pit. The clip started with a little spill over the table, but it was only the beginning of the messy experience. As the post continued, the baby made the most satisfying 'nom nom nom nom' sounds, only getting exceedingly dramatic. A mix of 'glug glug' and 'nom nom' sounds, the video captured the little girl's euphoric mango-eating moments, and it's super relatable. She chewed and sucked on it with all her energy and created an even bigger mess until there was no more left to eat. The results? A licked-clean mango pit. Commenters found the baby's way of eating the mango so relatable that they couldn't hold back their hilarious remarks. One user wrote that the 'waababwaabab is necessary, otherwise you don't deserve the mango.' A second individual pointed out that the video was a 'tutorial' on how to eat the fruit until it's clean. The post Video: Baby Shows Right Way To Enjoy Mango & Netizens Couldn't Agree More appeared first on Momtastic.