The Old Testament (Gay)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Feature: C+

 

 

Done abstractly in three parts, Cui Zi’en’s The Old Testament (2002) is a strange project that a quote on the DVD case dubs “avant garde” for perhaps lack of a better word.  It is not that interesting or challenging, but is not a pro-Christian of pro-Holy Bible work by any means.  Instead, the three pieces are from China and about hypocrisy all over.  Of course, there is no open Christianity in China, but the oppressive shadow of Christian extremism has obviously reached the communist superstate somehow and this work was allowed by the restrictive authorities to be produced.

 

Though an underground work, it looks like so many taped (and usually very bad) productions we see all the time from the U.S. and Canada.  What is groundbreaking for Chinese storytelling is tame by U.S. standards, though this would be more than enough for the Religious Right (though hardly any of them would get this work, especially since we did not) to throw one of their well orchestrated, nationally televised soap opera temper tantrums until “someone” did “something” about it.  In this case, this will only reach a limited audience, unless Zi’en becomes a known filmmaker here.  I only wished this were a more substantial, challenging and shocking work, because when all is said and done, it is too distracted with abstraction to meet its potential.

 

The 1.78 X 1 letterboxed image was shot on videotape and has all kinds of flaw and imperfections in it throughout, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is pretty monophonic and has all kinds of limits of its own.  The result can be trying when watching, even as one waits for the project to add up.  There are no extras, but The Old Testament is bound to tick off all kinds of idiots, even if the creators are only saying things they alone understand.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo