Writers: Chuniel Kang, Shujun Wei and Hua Yu
Director: Shujun Wei
A quirky police procedural set in 1995, Shujun Wei’s Only the River Flows, screening at the BFI London Film Festival, is a noirish tribute to the classic 40s and 50s American crime movie, paying homage to the grizzled detective, rain-soaked streets and the nebulous bad guy figure known only by nicknames. The whodunnit, whydunnit, howdunnit quality of Wei’s movie, cowritten with Chuniel Kang and Hua Yu, becomes all but incidental to the character portrait of Ma Zhe, the lead policeman exorcised by a tricky case and the bleeding of its stresses into his personal life.
Called to the murder of Granny 4 down by the river, celebrated detective Ma Zhe is troubled by the savage nature of the crime. When other murders follow, a young boy claims to have seen “the madman” at the scene but the police are unable to prove a link. Following the trail takes Zhe into his own fears as dream and reality begin to blend.
Wei has created a classically complex central hero, a policeman with maverick but respected methods who can be abrupt with suspects, or anyone who wastes his time, but also cares deeply about solving the crime effectively. Adding to his film noir credentials, Zhe is also ambiguous with a personal and moral code that becomes increasingly troubled as he makes questionable, even prejudiced decisions, about the future of his family while the balance of his mind becomes the elliptical focus of the film’s final third.
Only the River Flows has a moody aesthetic, the sun is never shining, the river is menacing and bleak while the city endures endless downpours as the investigations continue day and night. It all adds to the atmospheric feel of Wei’s movie and the blending of reality and fantasy as shadowy figures loom across the story, making it increasingly difficult to determine who might be responsible and indeed who the victims are. Why these specific individuals are killed and how the murderer even identifies his next target remains entirely mysterious.
Later in the film, the writer-director starts to lose control of both the narrative and the constructed tone of the film, while the lack of character insight beyond the leads creates too many unresolved questions. The story needs a little more explanation of Zhe’s previous experience, why he believes he won a medal he cannot find and whether he is merely a highly functioning fantasist. Most importantly, the viewer needs to know why it matters and how Zhe’s handling of the case (or mishandling) reflects his own personal defects.
Yilong Zhu’s central performance is commanding and there is much to take from his troubled but dedicated official. There’s interesting support from Chloe Maayan as his increasingly perplexed but determined wife who has her own agency in the story. With a strong strand of crime films in this year’s festival, Only the River Flows is a strong and stylistic addition to the programme blending 40s Hollywood with contemporary Chinese cinema.
Only the River Flows is screening at the BFI London Film Festival 2023.
