Only the River Flows

Only the River Flows (Chinese: 河边的错误; pinyin: Hébiān de Cuòwù) is a 2023 Chinese drama film directed by Wei Shujun, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kang Chunlei. The film, starring Zhu Yilong, is based on Yu Hua's short novel Mistakes By The River, follows a police chief as he investigates a series of murders in a riverside town in rural China in the 1990s.[1][2] The movie was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.[3][4]

Only the River Flows
Traditional Chinese河邊的錯誤
Simplified Chinese河边的错误
Hanyu PinyinHébiān de Cuòwù
Directed byWei Shujun
Screenplay by
  • Kang Chunlei
  • Wei Shujun
Based onMistakes by the River
by Yu Hua
Produced byTang Xiaohui
Starring
CinematographyChengma Zhiyuan
Edited by
  • Ma Xiu
  • Li Dawei
Music by
  • Tu Duu-Chih
  • Tu Tse-Kang
Production
companies
  • Hangzhou Dangdang Film
  • KXKH FILM
Distributed by
  • Lian Ray Pictures (China)
  • Ad Vitam (France)
Release date
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin

Premise

Police Chief, Ma Zhe, investigates a series of murders in a riverside town in rural China in the 1990s. Though an arrest is made quickly, clues push the policeman to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of the locals and piece together the truth.

Cast

Production
  • Just before the shoot, the COVID-19 pandemic was surging again, and the entire team had been locked down in our hotel with a prohibition on going out. The team had around 45 days of preparation and approximately 45 days of shooting, and had to pause for two days when Wei Shujun and Zhu Yilong tested positive.[5]
  • Principal photography took place in Nanfeng, Jiangxi on December 19, 2022, and wrapped in early February 2023.
  • The film was shot mostly in chronological order as same as in the script. Zhu Yiling gained weight during the preparation to give the character looking obesity from over-work, and then lost 55lbs during the 45 days of shooting as the story unfolded. [6]
  • Almost the entire film was shot in 16mm.[7]

Release

World premiere

The film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on May 20, 2023.[3]

Film festival entries
Date Area Film festival Ref
May 20, 2023 France 76th Cannes Film Festival: Un Certain Regard [3]
July 13, 2023 Israel 40th Jerusalem Film Festival: International Competition [8]
July 19, 2023 New Zealand 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival [9]
September 14, 2023 Australia 2023 Darwin International Film Festival [10]
September 23, 2023 Macedonia 40th Manaki Brothers – International Cinematographers' Film Festival [11]
September 27, 2023 Greece 29th Athens International Film Festival [12]
September 28, 2023 Canada 42nd Vancouver International Film Festival: Panorama [13]
October 4, 2023 South Korea 28th Busan International Film Festival: A Window on Asian Cinema [14]
October 4, 2023 England 67th BFI London Film Festival [15]
October 4, 2023 Czech Republic BE2CAN 2023 [16]
October 11, 2023 China 7th Pingyao International Film Festival
October 11, 2023 United States 59th Chicago International Film Festival [17]
October 12, 2023 Spain Clam, The International Social Film Festival of Catalonia [18]
October 13, 2023 United States 24th Newport Beach Film Fest: International Spotlights [19]
October 18, 2023 Australia Adelaide Film Festival [20]
October 18, 2023 Norway 24th Bergen International Film Festival [21]
October 19, 2023 Austria 61th Vienna International Film Festival [22]
October 19, 2023 Brazil 47th São Paulo International Film Festival: International Perspective [23]
October 20, 2023 Romania 14th Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest [24]
November 8, 2023 Sweden 34th Stockholm International Film Festival: Competition [25]
November 16, 2023 Germany 72th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg [26]
November 19, 2023 Japan Tokyo Filmex 2023 [27]


Theatrical release
Date Area
October 21, 2023 China

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Only the River Flows holds an approval rating of 88%, based on 8 reviews.

Screen Daily stated "while ostensibly a noir, is a reminder of the alternative narrative perspectives and cinematic sophistication that have moved cinema forward in the past. Production design is pleasing and the cinematography is genuinely star-making"[28] The Hollywood Reporter stated "Shame and secrecy seem to be the guiding principles at a time, and in a place, where obedience counted most, and Wei keenly observes how adhering to social norms could drive some people over the edge. Even if Ma Zhe winds up catching the killer, or at least the guy he believes the killer to be, it’s a bitter victory, a source of private anguish despite his public triumph."[29] Asia Movie Pulse stated "particularly the friction rising from the fact that their upcoming child will be born with a disorder. Ma Zhe repeatedly states that they are supposed to abort it, but his wife insists that ‘her body, her decision’, in a comment that echoes quite intently even today, but even more in the one-child policy in 90’s China. The way this issue and the way the case unfolds shed light to the protagonist’s character is probably the most appealing aspect of the movie."[30]

AwardsWatch also reviewed in favor on performance and cinematography after BFI London Film Festival by stating "Yilong gives a subtly excellent performance backed by an all-convincing ensemble that brings to life Shujun’s murky, yet refined vision." "The beautifully dark look of Chengma Zhiyuan’s 16mm cinematography gives the film a non-contemporary feel."[31]

Accolades
Award / Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result
Cannes Film Festival May 26, 2023 Un Certain Regard Only the River Flows Nominated
Jerusalem Film Festival July 20, 2023 International Competition Only the River Flows Nominated
Manaki Brothers – International Cinematographers' Film Festival September 29, 2023 Official Selection: Silver Camera 300 Chengma Zhiyuan[32] Won
Pingyao International Film Festival October 16, 2023 Fei Mu Awards: Best Film Only the River Flows Won
Chicago International Film Festival October 22, 2023 International Competition Only the River Flows Nominated
Stockholm International Film Festival November 19, 2023 Stockholm Competition Only the River Flows TBA
Tokyo Filmex 2023 November 26, 2023 Competition Grand Prize Only the River Flows TBA

References
  1. "Only the River Flows (2023)". Letterboxd. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. "Only the River Flows – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  3. "Only the River Flows, as seen by Wei Shunjun". Cannes Film Festival. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  4. O'Connor, Rory; Lambo, Angel (25 May 2023). "The Best Films at Cannes 2023". Frieze. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. "ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS". mk2 Films. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  6. bpavan (2023-05-20). "Only the River Flows, as seen by Wei Shunjun". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  7. festival, manaki (2023-09-29). "Luca Coassin: The film was supposed to have the title Arkan, but we learnt that this wasthe name of a war criminal and we changed it into Aiken". Manaki Brothers - International Cinematographers’ Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  8. "Only the River Flows". Jerusalem Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  9. Whānau Mārama: Only the River Flows, archived from the original on 2023-07-18, retrieved 2023-07-18
  10. "Only the River Flows – NT Premiere at The Darwin International Film Festival – movie times & tickets". Darwin International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  11. Manaki, Manaki (2023-09-11). "Only the River Flows". Manaki Brothers – International Cinematographers’ Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  12. Amoweb. "ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS | HE BIAN DE CUO WU". AIFF • Athens International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  13. "VIFF 2023: Only the River Flows". Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  14. "Only the River Flows | Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  15. "Only the River Flows". BFI London Film Festival 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  16. "Only the River Flows". Edison FilmHub. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  17. "Only the River Flows | Chicago International Film Festival". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  18. "CLAM – Festival Internacional de Cinema Social de Catalunya" (in Catalan). Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  19. "Only the River Flows| NEWPORT BEACH FILM FEST". Newport Beach Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  20. "Only the River Flows- Adelaide Film Festival". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  21. "Only the River Flows". BIFF 2022 (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  22. "Only the River Flows | Viennale". www.viennale.at. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  23. "47ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo". 47ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  24. admine. "Only The River Flows". Les Films de Cannes - Filme de Festival. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  25. "Only the River Flows | Stockholm International Film Festival". www.stockholmfilmfestival.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  26. "Only the River Flows | IFFMH". IFFMH. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  27. "『川辺の過ち』Only the River Flows／フィルメックス・コンペティション – 第24回「東京フィルメックス」" (in Japanese). 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  28. Halligan, Fionnuala (20 May 2023). "'Only The River Flows': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  29. Mintzer, Jordan (20 May 2023). "'Only the River Flows' Review: An Elusive Chinese Serial Killer Procedural Pays Homage to Film Noir". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  30. Kotzathanasis, Panos (2023-07-04). "Film Review: Only the River Flows (2023) by Wei Shujun". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  31. Rolph, Ben (2023-10-06). "'Only the River Flows' Review: Wei Shujun's Gritty Neo-Noir Grips with Old-Fashioned Storytelling | LFF". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  32. festival, manaki (2023-09-30). "Manaki Brothers honours the best cinematographers every year". Manaki Brothers – International Cinematographers’ Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
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