Walking on the Wild Side (Chinese) 2006

July 20, 2008 · Posted in Chinese Movies, Drama, Movies | Share

AKA: Lai xiao zi
Year: 2006
Directed: Jie Han
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 89 mins
Country: China
Language: Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Cast: Bai Paijiang, Guo Quiang, Hou Jing, Zhang Xingxing
IMDB: Lai xiao zi

Synopsis / Plot

Han Jie sets the story in his native province of Shanxi in Northwest China, where coal mines sprang up all over the place during the nineties. The main character is also called Han Jie (the director’s alter ego, he based the film largely on his own experiences) and grows up in this heavily polluted area, where most of the young men engage in petty crimes, like gambling and stealing. The young Han soon becomes a victim of the youth gang of Xiaosi, basically a bunch of feeble-minded idiots who spend most of their day harassing school boys for their money, when they’re not drunk or raping girls. When Han’s cousin Xiping teaches Xiaosi and his “Gang of the Four Stars” a lesson, the gang members vow revenge, forcing him and Han to flee town