I AM NOT MADAME BOVARY

China, 2016, 130 minutes, Colour.
Bingbing Fan, Narrator: Xiogang Feng.
Directed by Xiogang Feng.

The present title is for Western audiences, to draw on their experience of reading Flaubert’s Madame Bovary or seeing various film versions, a reminder of Emma Bovary, her marriage, the relationship with her husband, her affair and its consequences. In fact, there is a prologue, narrated by the director himself, a Chinese equivalent story of Madame Bovary but to have used it in an English title might have proven to be too esoteric.

While the film is rather esoteric in its way, it is not in the development that might have been indicated with the opening story of a rather more faithless woman, betrayal of her husband, her killing him and her name becoming a byword for this kind of violent infidelity.

The esoteric require a word of warning about the filming and the screening. For most of the film the frame is a circle, which sometimes has the effect of being a proscenium making the audience respond to what they are seeing not just as a film but as a staged performance. There are two visits to Beijing where the circle opens a little and the framing is the traditional box form. At the end, the screen widens to what we might have expected throughout the film. It is certainly an odd experience watching a rather long film in circle form.

Bingbing Fan portrays Lian, a woman whom we see demanding justice from all the authorities in her town and county, claiming that the documents she received from the notary is a fake divorce paper, that she and her husband were to live in an apartment but he reneged and married again.

The first part of the film has her brandishing her document, accosting the variety of authorities, in the streets, standing in front of a car, confronting an official at his golden wedding anniversary party, eventually going to court, the notary who issued the document testifying against her – and her case being thrown out (and her later suggesting that her husband offered a bigger bribe than she had to the judge).

She perseveres – and, though it doesn’t always seem like it at the time judging from her looks and reactions – for 10 years. Early in the piece, she contemplated getting some men to kill her husband.

One of the main points of the film is her persistence (a Christian audience might remember Jesus’ parable from Luke’s Gospel about the persistent woman pestering the unjust judge). The other point is the injustice of the authorities, their relinquishing their responsibilities, arguing themselves out of having to make decisions.

At one stage, as the years gone by, she connects with the past friend who offers to help as long as she agrees to a sexual liaison – but she overhears him phoning authorities and collaborating with them.

It is at the end of the film only, when she has been in despair, ready to kill herself, that she has calmed down and encounters an official from the past and explains the true motivation that drove her to seek the Justice all these years – a story of some pathos.

1. A Chinese story, Chinese modes of storytelling? Moral issues? Social issues, especially authorities treating individuals badly?

2. The device of the screen frame, the circle, its effect? The square seen for the Beijing sequences? Opening out completely at the end?

3. The title, the Chinese equivalent of Madame Bovary, the pictures, the voice-over, the visuals of the storytelling, the woman, her husband, infidelity, the murder? Her reputation – and the use of her name as condemnatory, like Madame Bovary?

4. 10 years earlier, the irony of Lian, and her court pursuit over the decade?

5. The town, the streets, Lian and her protests, government offices, the apartment? Beijing sequences? In the middle, at the end – and broadening out to normal for the restaurant sequence? The county, the mountains, the countryside? The musical score?

6. Lian, her situation, her marriage, her being accused of affairs before the marriage, the divorce, fake, the reasons, the apartment and living there, the husband remarrying, her wanting a divorce, her anger?

7. The end and the final explanation of her carrying on the suits? Revelation of her pregnancy, the law against having another child, her husband betraying her, her miscarriage? The motivation of the cases, for her unborn child?

8. The officials, Lian going to the court, their behaviour and the court, finding against her, the witness’ testimony? Her going to the official at his 50 year anniversary of marriage, the confrontation? The variety of appeals, holding up the car, the Chiefs, the authorities in the county, the mayor? The reactions? Trying to avoid the issues?

9. Her idea to kill her husband? Going to her former suitor, urging him to hold down her husband while she killed him? Going to the large suitor – and a list of five people to be killed?

10. Her action over the years, the range of appeals, the different situations, her plans, the reports, her fears?

11. Going to Beijing, her hopes?

12. The suitor, engaging his help, his demand about a sexual encounter, her allowing it? Planning to marry her? The holiday in the mountains? His contact with the official, Lian overhearing him, walking out?

13. The officials over the years, trying to avoid the cases, not wanting to come to court? An individual causing so much concern? Their having to rethink their strategies? The various reprimands are different levels?

14. The final admission about official treatment of individuals? The change in the law?

15. Lian, deciding to hang herself, the owner of the property warning her against adverse effect on workers coming?

16. Going to Beijing, the party conference, on the bus, her illness, no documentation, going to the hospital, getting out, her being allowed through, searching for her cousin at
the market, the man wanting his money back, meeting the cousin? The showdown?

17. Years later, her restaurant, the Chief coming in, recognising her, his story about losing his job, her reaction?

18. A Chinese moral fable?