Review of Bird People In China, The

Introduction

Although most people know director Takashi Miike for being the `Tarantino of the East` due to the amount of gore in his cult hits `Audition`, `Ichi the Killer` and the `Dead or Alive` trilogy, some will be surprised that he also has a soft side, as evidenced by this movie itself. `The Bird People in China` begins with a stereotypical young Japanese professional, Wada, being sent on a work assignment for his company. Suited and booted, Wada arrives in rural China completely out of place and is immediately shocked at the difference between the Chinese countryside and the heavily urbanised cities of his native Japan. Wada`s plans to satisfy his boss by confirming that indeed a potential goldmine of jade stones up has been found on company property are ruined when Ujiie, a yakuza hellbent on getting back what the company owes his boss, turns up. Together, with help from their guide Shen, they make the punishing trip up to the mountains where the vein of jade is meant to be, only to find the jade village they have trekked over mountains and through storms for is actually a rural idyll. As the three are assimilated into the simple life of the villagers, they uncover the legend of the Bird People: people who could, according to the legend, fly from the mountains using constructed wings. Delving deeper into the legend, the three find it impossible to resist the charm of this village; but soon they have to think about returning to their homeland, and facing the terrible decision of how to report to Wada`s company, whose plans for mining the jade vein may just destroy the village they have come to love.

Part comedy and part drama, this film is quite unlike anything you`re likely to expect from Miike.

Video

Presented in anamorphic widescreen. Whilst by no means a perfect transfer, Miikefans should be pleased with the picture as it is better than anything else available. The level of detail is fairly high, and the print relatively free from blemish, although specks and dust turn up on screen ocasionally. The colours are a little washed out and muted, but overall still accurate.

Audio

The only track included is a Japanese 5.1 mix: no dubbed track, no surround track. Overall, it has to be said this is not a very good mix: the surrounds aren`t used much, and the separation between the individual speakers is marginal. However, the dialogue is clear and, since this isn`t a film particularly relying on sound effects, the track won`t harm your enjoyiment much.

Features

A lot of these extras are, unfortunately, pretty unsubstantial on this disc: lots of little pieces that as a whole do not make up to much. A set of filmographies for the director and three leads are included, along with the original trailer, previews of three of Miike`s movies on DVD, `promotional material` (a few photos and newspaper clippings scanned in) and song lyrics for `Annie Laurie`, which features heavily in the movie.

However, there are two decent extras on board: a commentary and an interview with Miike. The audio commentary is by Tom Mes, japanese cinema expert, and is both an informative and a vacous affair in that Mes has a deep knowledge of japanese cinema but knows very little about anecdotal happenings on the film itself as he was not involved with the filming. However, these holes are filled in by Mike`s interview (18mins), where he goes into detail about the filming process and how he adapted the film from the original novel.

Conclusion

`The Bird People in China` is quite possibly Takashi Miike`s masterpiece: this release of this film on DVD is proof that when he decides not to focus on shock tactics, storyline and characterisation can be Miike`s forte. Miike`s theme throughout focuses on the beauty of a rural life, and its vulnerability to the advancement of Japan`s urbanisation. The tale of Wada and Uiije, two apparently completely dissimilar individuals, yet with shared core beliefs about this theme, combines hilarity and story in the perfect blend. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments - Uiije`s shock when the ramshackle vehicle transferring them to the river falls apart springs to mind - but this never overshadows what is simply a heart-warming tale of mankind`s stand against the encroachment of the cities on nature. I can`t give this package anything but a high recommendation: it`s a jewel of a film worth a place in the jade mine itself, and even without the presence of good picture and decent audio, along with some interesting extras, would be essential viewing.