Message from rparker

[Anonymous]

A quick review of the Film “Quitting’
by Rocky Parker
★★★/★★★★★

In the East Asia in my Classroom Summer Session 2006, I was afforded the opportunity to watch a contemporary film on drug addiction in China. Personal knowledge of Chinese films for me personally mainly focused on martial arts classics and so the thematic change from kung fu to heroin addiction was a welcomed change. Quitting was released in 2003 and was directed by Yang Zhang.

Although the film was a commercial success and is readily available on DVD,
I was disappointed in the film. I felt the film was not a realistic portrayal of heroin addiction in China as it only shows heroin use by the rich and affluent. The main character in the film is a successful young actor who in order to better understand his characters and ‘expand his mind’ began to experiment with drugs. Ultimately this experimentation, coupled with the actor’s personality, leads to heroin addiction and a troublesome and destructive lifestyle. Although the actors portrayal of the addiction is commendable, Zhang’s setting of an affluent actor residing in a highly westernized apartment in downtown seems unrealistic.

Moreover, the fact that the young actor’s choice in music and art work is reminiscent of the 1960’s seems to be a subtle attempt to link drug addiction to the west.
Interestingly, even though this being a true story, the youth actor’s return to normalcy also seems to be out of place in this dark and depressing film. Still, despite its’ negativity, this is an excellent film for the non-sinologist to get an insight in to Chinese relationship and parental love.