- Shower (film)
Infobox Film
name = Shower
image_size =
caption = DVD cover of "Shower"
director = Zhang Yang
producer =Peter Loehr Imar Film
writer = Zhang YangLiu Fendou Huo Xin Diao Yi'nan Cai Shangjun
starring =Zhu Xu Pu Cunxin Jiang Wu
music =Ye Xiaogang
cinematography = Zhang JianBieru
editing =Yang Hongyu
distributor =Sony Pictures Classics (United States )
released =
runtime = 92 min.
country =
language =Mandarin Chinese
budget = US$350,000
website =
amg_id = 1:181225
imdb_id = 0215369"Shower" (洗澡) is an award-winning
1999 Chinese drama / comedyfilm directed by Zhang Yang and starringZhu Xu ,Pu Cunxin andJiang Wu . It premiered at theToronto International Film Festival on14 September ,1999 and won the Fipresci Prize. Though only the second directorial work by Zhang and the third production ofImar Film , "Shower" was selected for numerous film festivals, includingSan Sebastian Film Festival ,Sundance Film Festival , andSeattle International Film Festival , where it received many awards.Despite its name, "Shower" should really be called "Bath". Written by Zhang and a team of young scriptwriters, the film revolves around a family-run
bathhouse inBeijing . An aged father and his younger,mentally challenged son worked hard everyday to keep the bathhouse running for a motley group of regular customers. When his elder son, left years ago to seek fortunes in the southern city ofShenzhen , abruptly returned one day, it put the long-broken father-son ties under test again. Presented as a light-hearted comedy, "Shower" explores the value of family, friendship, and tradition.Plot
An aged father known to everyone as Old Liu (played by
Zhu Xu ) and his younger,mentally challenged son Liu Erming (Jiang Wu ) run and live in a traditionalbathhouse for men in an old district inBeijing . The bathhouse provides a variety of peripheral services, includinghaircut ,massage ,shaving ,fire cupping , even old-stylepedicure , to a motley group of regular customers, many of whom are retired old Beijingers. The patrons usually spend their entire day, day after day, in the bathhouse, engaging in a game ofChinese chess orcricket fighting . As such, they have formed close bonds not only with one another, but also with Old Liu, who is manager, staff, mediator in squabbles, and marriage consultant all in one. One of the patrons is a man who sings "'O Sole Mio " in the shower, but when he goes to sing it in public he loses his nerve, until Erming provides him with a shower from a hose. Another patron is a man having marital problems, after his wife ran after a thief while naked, and Old Liu arranges a reconciliation by having the man find his wife in the bath. After the bathhouse closes in the evening, Old Liu and Erming go for their daily jog around the neighbourhood, after which they engage in a contest to hold their breath in water as they bathe. Even simple tasks such as cleaning up the bathhouse are tremendous fun for the duo, both of whom behave like little children at these times.One day, Old Liu's elder son Liu Daming (
Pu Cunxin ), who left many years ago to seek fortunes in the southern city ofShenzhen , abruptly returns home. Now a successful businessman, Daming had received a postcard from Erming with a drawing of their father lying in bed. Thinking that his father has died, Daming rushed home, only to find it a misunderstanding. However, the father-son ties between Old Liu and Daming appear to be strained, and Daming plans to return to Shenzhen three days later.When Erming follows Daming downtown to reserve a plane ticket, he became separated from his elder brother. After a futile search, Daming returns home to his distressed father, who lashes out at him for not being able to take care of his younger brother. Old Liu laments that having already lost one son (referring to Daming), he cannot afford to lose the other. The next morning, however, Erming is able to find his own way home, to the relief of everyone. Having already postponed his flight, Daming decides to stay one more night.
It rains heavily overnight. While up on the roof fixing leaks, Old Liu catches a cold and falls sick the next morning. Daming volunteers to take over the work in the bathhouse, delaying his return once more. In the next few days, Daming stays on to help in the bathhouse. He even joins in the daily evening jog with his father and Erming. One evening, after coming back from jogging, Old Liu passes away peacefully while sitting in the bath.
Erming refuses to accept the reality and insists on opening the bathhouse everyday at the usual time. On the other hand, Daming plans to bring Erming to Shenzhen to live with him, but he is worried that his wife's reaction. He decides to leave Erming in a mental hospital for a couple of weeks while he goes back to make preparations. However, Erming puts up a fight at the hospital with the attendants. Daming has no choice but to bring Erming back to the bathhouse again.
Meanwhile, the entire district is due to be demolished to make way for commercial development. Even as the crew of movers comes in to take away the furniture, Erming tries to protect the bathhouse. With water hose in hand, he sprays and drives out everyone and locks the door. Eventually, he is convinced by Daming to accept the reality. As the group of old customers gathers in the bathhouse for one last time, Erming gives his final performance in the place he so loves, singing to the tune of "
'O Sole Mio ".Cast
*
Zhu Xu as Old Liu, owner and manager of a traditionalbathhouse inBeijing , father to Daming and Erming
*Pu Cunxin as Liu Daming, elder son of Old Liu, left forShenzhen many years ago
*Jiang Wu as Liu Erming, younger andmentally challenged son of Old Liu, helper in the bathhouseProduction
"Shower" was shot on a budget mostly in
Beijing , with additional scenes in northern Shaanxi province (nearYan'an ) andTibet . According to producerPeter Loehr , he had "to go out and beg for a cast" because of the tight budget. He was even considering hiring a realmentally challenged amateur actor for the role of Liu Erming whenJiang Wu approached him and requested to have the role. The Beijing shot took 43 days in total, with 18 to 20-hour days and one day off. The actors took naps between shoots on the beds available in the bathhouse on set. "Shower" wrapped up in late May of1999 .Reception
Having wrapped up in late May of
1999 , producerPeter Loehr held back the release of "Shower" due to poor domestic market inMainland China . Instead, the film premiered at theToronto Film Festival on14 September , winning the Fipresci Prize. It was soon invited to many more film festivals and distribution rights were sold to 56 countries.Imar Film had recouped double of its budget of US$350,000 in advances alone. Having won international acclaim, "Shower" finally opened at home on6 November .Awards and nominations
*
Toronto Film Festival ,1999
** International Critics' Award (Fipresci Prize)
*San Sebastian Film Festival , 1999
** Best Director Ecumenical Award
*Thessaloniki Film Festival , 1999
** Golden Alexander Award
*Seattle International Film Festival ,2000
** Golden Space Needle Award
** Best Director
*Rotterdam International Film Festival , 2000
** Audience Award
*Satellite Awards ,2001
** Golden Satellite Award (nominated)
*Hong Kong Film Awards ,2002
** Best Asian Film (nominated)DVD release
A DVD featuring subtitles in English, Spanish and French was released on
12 December ,2000 and distributed bySony Pictures Classics in theUnited States .References
*
External links
*
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.