The Wild Goose Lake is a 2019 Chinese film that was a huge success at the box office in it's homeland and also garnered a good amount of money overseas. Cannes Films Festival had the film entered to compete for the Palme d"Or since the director, Diao Yinan(Black Coal, Thin Ice) has received critical acclaim. Well known actor Hu Ge stars in the film along side, Gwei Lun-mei, Liao Fan,(Who starred in Yinan's Black Coal, Thin Ice,) and, Wan Qian.
A gangster accidentally shoots a police officer while in a gun fight with other gangsters. He soon must go on the run as the whole police force is hot on his trail. Only a girl sent to meet him at a train station can help him get away....
The Wild Goose Lake is a great arthouse foreign film. I would go as far to consider the film one of the definitions of artsy with it's freshly flipped sides in storytelling. Events start off in real time with our main character on the run as he meets this random girl at a train station. Things take off from there when the film constantly decides to go back and forth toward the past then the present. One might think that The Wild Goose Chase would be a normal "cats chase mouse" thriller due to the plot but center focus switches gears after conflicts are established. More characters step into the story as the viewer is forced to guess how all these new characters play into the overall plot. A slow burn starts to began in a dreadful feeling that surrounds the main character because you don't know what the film is trying to say nor do you know where the next scene will take you. How everything concludes teaches us that many people in this world will always think about serving themselves over the wellbeing of others I think Goose Lake has something in it for various viewers. At times overly bloody, at other times completely still as a lake at dusk, The Wild Goose Lake will either dazzle you or confuse you to death. Also note that there's Chinese cultural references in this film that might be kinda odd to a non Chinese viewer. Just roll with it then research if you care to.
Yinan is another director who can shoot scenery to make it tell his story for him. He's a genius who can shoot action in scenery in his own way that just looks so rustic. One quality that I feel Chinese films have is a no censorship rule on showing how life can be in certain parts of China. This film has no problem showing the slums where many have humble beginnings on top of true life Chinese culture that isn't watered down by government censorship. I loved witnessing all the sights since they bring an extra spice to the storyline.
The whole cast did their jobs very well in my opinion. I can see that Liao fan was brought back to be in another project for reasons that would boil down to him just being such a straightforward actor. Hu Ge's dark yet demanding demeanor commands the camera lens. His character creates a harmony with Lun-mei's character's glassy demeanor. All of the good performances made the film feel emotional though I was a bit indifferent to all the characters. They were going for that sort of.... I believe.
I would recommend this film just like many people have recommended Black Coal, Thin Ice in the past. I'll circle back and watch that too sometime in the future. I'm sure it's as artsy as The Wild Goose Lake.
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