Film Name: 焚城 / Cesium Fallout
The new movie “Cesium Fallout” has been getting more and more positive reviews since it was first screened, and curiosity got the better of me and I went to see it.
After watching the movie, I dare say that the creators of the movie, while referring to the experience of shooting traditional disaster movies, must have also learned from their counterparts in mainland China – Hong Kong movies, despite their many genres and excesses, have seldom dabbled in grand narratives, and the occasional work, too, has been very unflattering…. …Cesium Fallout, however, has produced some flavors of mainland melodrama films, which, despite its resemblance, is extremely rare and refreshing as a Hong Kong film, and this was the biggest surprise to me.
Of course, as the “first Chinese-language radiation disaster movie”, especially with the domestic audience’s aesthetic habits to see, really to “Cesium Fallout” can still pick a lot of nitpicks, but to a commercial film standards to see, the film’s theme is new, clear narrative, smooth rhythm, the role of the appropriate, has been very good. Otherwise, it would not have been widely recognized by the audience.)
Here, I’d like to address a few interesting and intriguing aspects of the film, with some spoilers below, so be warned.
The first is the “melodramatic” meaning that I mentioned earlier. In the past, there were not many Hong Kong movies with fire as a theme, but there were none like “Cesium Fallout”, which involves such elements as “nuclear radiation, city closure, natural and man-made disasters”, and it’s a big deal.
The story of the movie is divided into two main lines, one is based on the front-line firefighters to fight the fire and rescue the disaster, and the other is based on the Hong Kong Government’s command headquarters in the dark, the game of decision-making.
Undoubtedly, the former character story line is more suitable to be used as a movie card, despite the small bumps and bugs, although there are still “can not shoot the comradeship of the disciplined forces, can only shoot the brotherhood of small groups,” and other regrets, but the firefighters to face the dangers of self-sacrifice for the sake of others, the sense of responsibility and sense of duty has been shot, and the spirit of sacrifice when necessary is also reflected. When necessary, the spirit of sacrifice is also reflected, which is enough.
Something is to talk about the underlying, we can not use “The Wandering Earth” type of standards to ask others, “Cesium Fallout” in the action, scene and spirit of the performance, if not merit, at least not too much.
It’s the latter story line that makes the movie really valuable, and the unpleasant temple fighting makes up for its flaws and gives it a distinctive character that is different from its mainland counterparts.
The two factions of the Hong Kong government command in “Cesium Fallout” are pitted against each other, with the professional, arrogant and ill-tempered expert Fan Weili (Andy Lau) on one side, and the officials of the government departments on the other, led by the dangerous Cecilia (Karen Mok), whose rivalry and cooperation constitute one of the main attractions of the movie.
Unlike Hollywood movies, where the government is often the antagonist with a small agenda, or in Mainland Chinese movies, where the government is always a strong, stable and positive character who can hardly make mistakes, the image of the Hong Kong government in “Cesium Fallout” is on the neutral side.
When the temporary disaster relief command center was first established, officials generally knew little about the disaster and did not pay enough attention to it. After learning of the danger of nuclear radiation, they have to ignore the confidentiality agreement and secretly notify their family members to evacuate quickly, and when faced with the decision of whether or not to notify the people to evacuate and other choices, Cecilia prioritizes the issue of taking the blame and taking the blame…. …All of these details contain ironies and warnings about power.
Viewers in the emotion of course more like to dare to say and do Fan Weili, but also need to understand that he is, after all, an expert without a position to offer advice, many words he can rest assured to boldly say, but do the decision-making officials must be according to the rules of the road, and really when the danger is clear, they are also fully cooperative, no more dragging their feet …… This is again on the power in the organization and discipline.
To put it bluntly, Hong Kong is a small place, and the Hong Kong government is not a big government with a big hand, many civil servants are just part-timers, and their perfunctory/dutiful, powerless/hardworking, and selfishness/selflessness is the norm for more officials – this is also the reason why “Cesium Fallout” is more flexible and intriguing in its narrative compared to many melodramatic movies on the mainland. This is what makes “Cesium Fallout” more flexible and intriguing than many other melodramatic films on the mainland.
Therefore, when I saw someone say that “the Hong Kong Garrison didn’t even show up”, I felt that it was a bit like putting the cart before the horse: if there was such a big disaster in Hong Kong in reality, not to mention the Garrison, the whole of mainland China would have been involved in the relief efforts; however, in the movie, they couldn’t have shown up, or else the whole movie wouldn’t have been established.
Similarly, the villain of this “man-made disaster”, the rich businessman Gao Peide (Michael Wong is now getting more and more familiar with playing this kind of antagonist) – in the mainland environment, you are a businessman who is involved in smuggling and made a big mistake, how can you be qualified to bargain with the government, but in “Cesium Falls”, you are not the only one who is in a position to bargain with the government, but in “Cesium Falls”, you are not the only one who is in the same position. In Hong Kong, where “Cesium Fallout” talks about “procedures”, the Hong Kong government just can’t do anything about him, and can only hold its nose and practice “politics is the art of compromise”.
This is one of the reasons why I like “Cesium Fallout” in my personal opinion. It reveals an attitude that is rarely seen in Hong Kong movies.
The hidden thread of the movie is like this: in ’96, the British Hong Kong colonial government changed the port’s comprehensive inspection system to a random inspection system, and Fan Weili, who was in office at the time, led this policy, but this move, while realizing the prosperity of trade, has also facilitated the illegal transshipment and dumping of electronic wastes by multinational businessmen such as Ko Pui Tak, and a major fire broke out in the port, and Fan Weili, who had lost his wife, a fireman, had become the backstabber, and ten years after he left the government, he still has to face and solve the problem of the British-Hong Kong Government, and he has to face and solve the problem of the British Hong Kong Government. has to face and solve the disasters brought about by the hidden dangers left behind by the policies of the British-Hong Kong colonial era.
Does a trade environment with reduced regulation, convenience and freedom smell good? Of course it smells good, especially to cross-border traders who have channels in various markets, it smells even better, but once something goes wrong, who will take the blame? In the movie, GAO Pei-de can still threaten the Hong Kong Government with reasons such as “infringing on private property and damaging the business environment”.
FAN Weili is good at everything, but he is too self-righteous, proud and arrogant, and he likes to make a big fuss. However, when something really goes wrong, he can bravely take the responsibility and take the lead to get the job done in a practical manner, just like some of the usually unpleasant but reliable “big chiefs” we have come into contact with.
From this point of view, “Cesium Fallout” is not only a watchable disaster movie, but also a movie that adds thoughts on Hong Kong’s past, present and future development.
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