Circular Ruins Review
Circular Ruins is a 2020 short film written and directed by Zeyu Wang.
A deep funeral for the soul that bottles up its emotions so tightly that even a quiet tear feels like a deep catharsis, Circular Ruins is a wonderfully methodical film that explores the deep roots of a childhood lost.
The first thing you will notice as you sit down to this piece is the sheer painterly quality the film has thanks to cinematography by Peiyuan Li who absolutely puts on quite the display of lighting. It is gorgeous and engaging, with no shot going to waste.
Moving beyond that, the atmosphere of the film is instantly absorbing. A strong sound design invokes moments of Lynch-like dread, while others bear a strong resemblance to the most somber pieces of a Wong Kar-wai movie. It strikes a wonderfully harmonious tone that will leave your ears in an auspicious place.
The acting is understated but explodes when needed. Zheng Ying who plays the mother of Liang Jing, has the standout scene where she cuttingly berates the girl for a poor test result.
The setting for the film feels remote but yet brooding. To leave this prison, though, is an impossibility. It is all told so expertly through the visuals and there is not enough to be said that could capture what the viewing experience entails. It is simply that, an experience.
The last quick mention is how when the film wants to deliver a big scene it does so with a great sense of scale. The few times we are in a true exterior space we are meant to feel that scale and with the “torch men” shots in particular it is genuinely creepy.
This is by far an easy film to recommend viewing. Circular Ruins understands what it means to tell a story visually and gives a true purpose to what film can be at its core. The words are few and far between, but the impact strikes all the more with each utterance.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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