theNomad’s review published on Letterboxd:
.::Scavenger Hunt #14 May 2016 - Film #18::.
"Asshole! if I don't eat, then you don't eat" - Teruyuki (Kosaburo Hanaya)
Tour de force for Jiang Wen, who produced, directed, co-screen wrote and starred. Its lush b&w cinematography is so visually amazing, its so easy to forget your watching a film from 2000 and not the 1940's. It deservedly won the Cannes Grand Prix award in 2000, and if it wasn't running against Tiers truly one of a kind experience 'Dancer in the Dark' it'd have easily grabbed the Palme d'Or.
Devils on the Doorstep is so unlike Cannes usually stuffy winning movies, in that it can be viewed purely from an entertaining standpoint. That's not to say it lacks depth, because its got heaps. It's simplistic story about a Chinese villager Ma (Jiang Wen) being assigned two Japanese army captives to hold prisoner and interogate is totally inspired, it gives the film much more scope than being merely an anti-war or anti-Japanese feature. Theres so many memorable moments, for me the scene Ma floats past the burning village in his little fishing boat stood out, ohh and that ending was priceless. Its essential viewing, I should have really seen it sooner. Hell I seriously need see more Chinese movies.