| So Close to Paradise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Traditional Chinese | 扁擔·姑娘 |
| Simplified Chinese | 扁担·姑娘 |
| Literal meaning | shoulder-pole [carrier], girl |
| Hanyu Pinyin | biǎndān, gūniáng |
| Directed by | Wang Xiaoshuai |
| Written by | Wang Xiaoshuai Pang Ming |
| Produced by | Han Sanping Tian Zhuangzhuang |
| Starring | Wang Tong Shi Yu Guo Tao Wu Tao |
| Cinematography | Yang Tao |
| Edited by | Liu Fang Yang Hong Yu |
| Music by | Liu Lin |
| Distributed by | United States: Cinema Village Features Hong Kong: Edko Films Worldwide: Fortissimo Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
So Close to Paradise (Chinese: 扁担·姑娘) is a 1998 Chinese film directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, a member of Chinese cinema's so-called Sixth Generation. It is alternatively known by the English title Ruan's Song or by its original Chinese title, The Girl From Vietnam (Chinese: 越南來的姑娘; pinyin: Yuènán láide gūniáng).[1] The film was a coproduction of the Beijing Film Studio, and Beijing Jin Die Yingshi Yishu, as such, it is Wang's first major film production within the Chinese studio system.[2] The film's literal title, The Pole-Carrier and the Girl, refers to two of the main characters played by Shi Yu and Wang Tong.
The film follows two migrants, Dong Zi and Gao Ping, as they travel through Wuhan's underground and in the process kidnap a nightclub singer.[3]
- ^ Scott, A. O. (2001-03-09). "So Close to Paradise-Movie-Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ Berry, Michael (2005). "Wang Xiaoshuai: Banned in China" in Speaking in Images: Interviews With Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers, p. 164. ISBN 0-231-13330-8. Google Book Search. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^ Several sources, notably the New York Times, and The Hollywood Reporter, mistakenly state that the film takes place in Shanghai.