WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES

China, 2004, 125 minutes, Colour.
Andy Lau, Renee Liu, Ge You.
Directed by Xiaogang Feng.

A beautifully crafted and photographed film which invites its audience into the remote regions of China and takes them and the characters on an adventurous train ride. It is a journey which has touches of the comic, of the romantic and of the tragic.

The central characters are almost all thieves. Li and Bo are con artists who have spent years on successful swindles, especially luring older businessman into making sexual advances and videoing these for extortion. But things have changed. She wants to stop. He does not.

Into their lives comes a good and naïve young man who carries a large amount of money earned by his building work at a Buddhist monastery. He becomes a target of Bo but also of an organised gang who work the trains.

What would it be like to have a world without thieves? No gangs and their unscrupulous attacks? A world where thieves reform and are kind to people, restoring their goods? A world like that of the young man where people are all good and he cannot really imagine evil?

Enertaining, funny, sad, and wistful for goodness.

1. The title, realistic, ironic? The world of thieves? The young man and a world without thieves?

2. The Chinese film industry, 2004, the craftsmanship in the making of the film, quality of photography, performance, editing, score?

3. The structure of the film: the robbery and swindle, the train ride? The locations and their variety, the car trip, the countryside, the ruggedness, the beauty of the mountains, the plains? The Buddhist monastery?

4. The prologue, the English lesson, the demure teacher, the businessman and his trying to learn English, sending his wife away and the maid? The sexual advance? It being videoed, the extortion plan, their taking of the BMW?

5. The journey in the car, the tensions between Li and Bo, their argument, the crash, Li getting out, her changes of moods – and the later explanation of her pregnancy? The argument about the swindles, the money?

6. The Buddhist monastery, its atmosphere, Li and her prayer? Bo and his robbing the mobile phones?

7. The separation between the two, never wanting to see each other again, the credit card, the money?

8. The monastery, the work of reconstruction, the young man, his going home to be married, the amount of money, his talking too openly and naively? A man of faith and simplicity? Meeting Li and Bo?

9. The young man on the train, as an easy mark, the gang wanting to get his money, Li and her compassionate attitude, her pregnancy, wanting to make reparation? Protecting him? Arguing with Bo? The money changing hands so many times and the young man being oblivious?

10. Li's pregnancy, her attitude towards the young man, her prayer, wanting to do good? Bo, his love for Li, his harsh attitudes, criminal background, his gradually changing?

11. The encounter with Uncle Li, his performance, the gang, the different encounters, the contests with Bo, the fights, the train roof and the daring of ducking before the tunnel, the henchmen, Uncle Li taking the finger of one of them? A ruthless gang, preying on passengers on the train?

12. The girl in the gang, her various disguises, robbing the money, her relationship with Uncle Li, the police charade?

13. Li, the various techniques for robbery, his henchmen, the girl and taking the money and leaving the note?

14. Getting off the train, Bo and his decision, the young man and his giving blood, fainting?

15. The police, on the train, checking the identities of Li and Bo, their plan? The two confessing, the man wanting to drop the charges?

16. Li in the roof, getting the money, the confrontation with Bo? The fight, the hooks? Li escaping, Bo dying?

17. The aftermath, Li and her pregnancy, the police explaining Bo’s death? Her new way of life with her child?

18. The symbol of the eggs, the magical peeling, the raw egg, Li's sleight of hand in helping the young man to understand what had happened about his money?