Black Dog: A Film of Reconciliation and Redemption in China

A Glimpse into China’s Industrial Past

The year is 2008, and China is opening up to the world. Announcements about the summer Olympics in Beijing are blaring out from loudspeakers across the country, stirring up national pride about an event that underscores China’s confidence in the 21st century. But in a far-flung corner of north-west China, on the edge of the Gobi desert, the sparkle from the capital has faded into a translucent dust, coating everything in a declining industrial town with a bleak, grey haze.

A Return to the Past

It is here that Black Dog’s central human character, Lang, freshly released from prison, finds himself, as he returns to his barren home town to reconcile with his ailing father and former neighbours, who regard him with suspicion.

The Turning Point of 2008

“For anyone who understands China, looking at the past two or three decades, 2008 was a turning point,” says Guan Hu, the director of the feted new Chinese film Black Dog, which chronicles Lang’s attempt to build a fresh start just as China is also reinventing itself. Guan is referring to the “unparalleled pride” of the Olympics, but also the “immense sorrow” of the Wenchuan earthquake, which struck in May of that year, killing nearly 70,000 people. For Guan, there is power in writing about ordinary people in such an “iconic year.”

A Film of Human Connection

The film’s title comes from Xin, a stray black whippet that Lang, played by an impressively rugged Eddie Peng, befriends after he is assigned to a local dog patrol, tasked with rounding up stray hounds ahead of the Beijing Games. The friendship between the largely mute Lang and the unruly but loyal pooch grows as Lang struggles to find his place in a town that feels increasingly abandoned. Several scenes include dusty concrete buildings emblazoned with the character 拆, or chai, a tagging used by authorities in China to earmark buildings for demolition.

A New Direction for Guan Hu

Black Dog, a moody, sprawling, western-meets-noir with a dash of social commentary, is a departure from the 56-year-old director’s previous works. His two most recent blockbusters, The Eight Hundred and The Sacrifice, were more sabre-rattling portrayals of Chinese military might than meditations on China’s left-behind towns. But after netting more than $484m and $173m at the global box office respectively, the two films put Guan, already an important figure in the so-called “sixth generation” of Chinese film directors who came of age in the early 1990s, in good stead to make a more edgy feature. Black Dog was the first film produced by the production company Seventh Art Pictures that Guan co-founded with his wife, Liang Jing.

Censorship and Reception

For a film to be released domestically in China, it must first obtain a “dragon seal” from the government-run China Film Administration, a lengthy and murky process which involves strict content reviews. China’s film censorship has tightened in recent years, with the authorities cracking down on unauthorised screenings. But Liang says that the process of obtaining a dragon seal for Black Dog was smooth. “We felt quite lucky,” she says.

It hasn’t just pleased the censors. Black Dog has also received rave reviews, winning the top prize in Cannes film festival’s Un Certain Regard section this year.

Conclusion

Black Dog is a powerful and poignant exploration of human connection and redemption in a declining industrial town in China. The film’s focus on the relationship between Lang and Xin highlights the importance of companionship and understanding in the face of adversity. As Guan Hu notes, the film is a testament to the “indescribable” communication between man and dog that “doesn’t require words.”

FAQs

What is the film Black Dog about?

Black Dog is a film that tells the story of Lang, a former prisoner who returns to his hometown in north-west China to reconcile with his ailing father and former neighbours.

What is the significance of the year 2008 in the film?

The year 2008 is significant in the film as it represents a turning point in China’s history, marked by the Beijing Olympics and the Wenchuan earthquake. The film explores the impact of these events on ordinary people in a declining industrial town.

How did the director, Guan Hu, approach the film’s themes?

Guan Hu approached the film’s themes of human connection and redemption by focusing on the relationship between Lang and Xin, a stray black whippet. He wanted to portray the “indescribable” communication between man and dog that “doesn’t require words.”