So Much Rice (written and directed by Li Hongqi, Winter Vacation) is independent cinema at its most deadpan. Its apparently an exercise in ‘anti-narrative’.
Mr. Mao [Han Dong] runs away from his girlfriend while playing a game of hide and seek and goes to stay with his friend Xiao He [Zhang Yaodong] in order ‘to stay in a strange place’.
Xiao He, having been rejected by the local prostitute, joins a local centre to find a girlfriend, Xiao Zheng.
At first all goes well but when He tires of her, Zheng shows up with the bag of eponymous rice to pay for her board and lodging.
Soon Mao and Zheng are spending time together but Mao is worried that he is feeling at home and wants to leave. Zheng suggests he bring the bag of rice with him as a sign of good will.
Much of the film is shot in one of Director Li’s favourite locations: a large couch. And with some appropriate music by Zuoxiao Zuzhou.
Shot mainly in black and white and emphaising its lack of production values (as in the DVD cover), Director Li somehow still manages to retain one’s interest as his heroes try to guess which character is the Wu in Mr Wu’s name or come to the aid of a man who has broken his false teeth. What the point of it all is, is anybody’s guess. Which presumably is the point (or not)!
A 2020 re-edit is now available on CathayPlay. A bit like the director’s cut of Ashes of Time I assume.
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