Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014)

"You think anyone ever wins at life?"

Black Coal, Thin Ice is one of those films I find hard to rate. Technically it was beautifully shot, with a dark, bleak, noir mood. Character-wise, I disliked nearly everyone, especially the male lead. The characters were either amoral, murderous, or stupid. I can’t say that I enjoyed the film, but it was artistically made.

When an arm shows up in a coal processing plant, with other pieces scattered about, you know someone is up to no good. Fear not, for Detective Zhang is on the case! Unfortunately, the case goes hay-wire because the police know nothing about proper police procedure. Fast forward five years and Zhang is a drunk working as a security guard. As fate would have it, he stumbles across his old partner and a case that closely resembles the one that sent Zhang down a bad path. Zhang is determined to not let the culprit escape this time.

I’ll get my peeves out of the way first. #1-Zhang attempted to rape his ex-wife at a train station in the early minutes of the film. Strike 3, he’s out and I’m hoping his body parts end up at the coal mine. He uses his position of authority to compel another woman to have sex later in the movie, so yeah, I don’t care if he saved the country, he’s an animal. Peeve #2, the police were inept at best. Not once, but twice, disasters happened because they didn’t understand how to properly detain a perp. The cops turned over possible evidence to a suspect and then asked for it back. They also had to rely on an ex-cop to solve their case. Peeve #3-the femme fatale was uninspired and underwhelming. Her primary purpose was to be groped by awful men.

The atmosphere and cinematography were stunning. In a land nearly always shrouded in nightfall and covered in ice, you could almost feel the cold and desolation seep through the screen. Where Wong Kar Wai’s shadows enhanced with green, yellow, and red provided for an erotic and melancholy atmosphere, Diao Yi Nan’s colors evoked death, violence, and criminal intent.

While I really wanted to like this film, I loathed the dogged detective, found the femme fatale banal, and the police deadly incompetent. The film was artistically pleasing to look at and if you don’t mind an entire cast of unlikeable characters, you might find this more entertaining than I did. For me the “hero” had a heart that was Black Coal and the story skated on Thin Ice.

18 April 2025

Trigger warnings: At least one attempted rape. Dismembered body parts. Bare male butts in a bath scene.

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This movie is long. It is slow. It is beautiful. If that sounds like the kind of movie you like, then I highly suggest checking out this gem by director Diao Yinan.  The cinematography is soft and yet sharp, highlighting the snow and icy town where most of the story takes place.  In particular the lighting really sets moods for the film from it's beginning to the end.  This is one of my favorite films, and I give it a 9/10.  I docked one point for the sort of fantastical bit at the end.  It reminds me a little of the butterfly scene in Lee Chang Dong's Oasis, and although it was an event that could realistically occur unlike the scene in Oasis, it somehow felt less accomplished.  This is a very minor point however, and some may not mind at all. Overall fantastic film with a solid and believable portrayal by Liao Fan.  Highly recommended for those who enjoy crime neonoir films and are interested in watching Chinese cinema and want something fresh.

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