A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie Review

Have gun - will travel.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 28, 2014

The director of “Still Life” and “Unknown Pleasures,” director Zhangke Jia continues his commentary on Chinese society with “A Touch of Sin.” Gathering four tales of despondency and behavioral extremity, the helmer embarks on an odyssey of desperation, tackling issues of corruption and dismissal that guide the characters to situations of impulse and reckoning that alters their lives forever. Sold in a meditative manner that makes the innate horror of the stories all the more terrifying, “A Touch of Sin” is an evocative and devastating portrait of demoralization, with the origins of these tales based partly on factual events. However, the intermittent intensity of the effort doesn’t carry throughout, as gaps in understanding add up in the end, leaving these tattered people and their woe curiously unexplored beyond key details that lead to their unraveling. It’s a strikingly shot picture with some genuine dramatic weight, but as an overall piece of understanding, the movie leaves too much obscured, keeping the viewer in the dark despite some incredibly intimate acts of deliberation.

In the far corners of China, four individuals struggle to make sense of their lives and the corruption that infects their everyday tasks. For Dahai (Wu Jiang), interest in fairness when it comes to the payment of revenue sharing has forced him to file a formal complaint against the corporation that purchased a coal mine once owned by his village. Unable to find a sympathetic ear, Dahai picks up a rifle and begins to slaughter anyone who’s done him wrong. Zhou San (Baoqiang Wang) is a migrant worker returning home for his mother’s 70th birthday celebration, only to reconnect with his estranged, demanding family, leading him to make severe criminal choices that barely disturb his dead-eyed observation of the world. Xiao Yu (Tao Zhao) is a sauna receptionist who’s just lost her lover after delivering an ultimatum, unable to carry on with the married man as she hoped. Returning to a schedule of work, the older woman is confronted with violence from multiple sources, forcing her to return fire with her own act of knife-wielding aggression. And Xiao Hui (Lanshan Luo) is an aimless teenager who’s just escaped from a troubling situation of punishment at his home factory. Taking odd jobs, the boy makes a connection with a prostitute, which only deepens his sense of isolation.

“A Touch of Sin” has much on its mind, with the four tales representing life in different areas of China, tracking these poor souls as they labor to make sense out of their miserable existence. Some cling to love, others depend on routine, but they all want something more for themselves, they just don’t know how to achieve it. It’s a tapestry of disorder and depression, presented with varying degrees of self-awareness, with Dahai the most direct in his intention, aggressively taking back the dignity he’s lost to corrupt corporate types. Yu has a more reactionary experience, pushed into action when rich men begin to assume she’s for sale. Her act of self-defense turns into a liberation of sorts, propelling her life of stasis into one of movement. In fact, travel plays an important part of “A Touch of Sin,” studying the citizens as they move around China, either searching for positive change or escaping judgment. Although it’s no travelogue, the picture manages to generate universal feelings of despondency, with the same disappointment found everywhere for these poor souls.

Some segments are better than others, with Dahai’s opening assault establishing the film’s comfort with blunt acts of violence, studying a path of revenge that’s merciless, yet instigated by brutal humiliations and a general disregard of the man’s inquiries into his fair share. Less impactful is the final chapter, which doesn’t feature a dramatic depth that could support its severe conclusion, with “A Touch of Sin” rushing through the highlights of Hui’s mistakes and heartbreak before he’s soaked with despair. Perhaps most emotionally resonant is Yu’s dash of self-preservation, with Tao Zhao’s performance expressive enough to understand the character’s bruised headspace and her deflation after the loss of her lover.

Shocking acts of violence are found in all four segments, punctuating long silences and simmering tensions. The helmer treats brutality in a straightforward manner, with such coldness amplifying cruelties with shocking precision. Admittedly, “A Touch of Sin” features stretches of stillness that hurt the picture’s balance, but when it finds focus, acts of retribution, survival, and even industrial accidents contribute to an unsettling quality to the work, preserving tension.

A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings an HD-shot production to Blu-ray without any major concerns. Some banding is detected, and while blacks are largely open for inspection, a few instances of crush remain, but nothing that destroys frame information. Colors are crisp and defined, spotlighting naturalistic hues and more artificial ones once the action hits the city, finding neon glow served well here, while costuming also sustains visual personality. Skintones are true throughout. Fine detail is important, allowing the viewer to examine facial particulars that express subtle emotions, capturing textured reactions, and locations are easily explored through fresh, crisp images.

A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix for "A Touch of Sin" doesn't explore the fullness of the home theater space, with most of the track offering a frontal position, rarely searching through the surrounds outside of scoring cues and a few atmospheric changes. Dialogue exchanges are crisp and clean, with a healthy balance of voices managed well, keeping away from brittle highs and muddy lows. Scenes featuring street life are also communicative, retaining a natural bustle. Scoring cues are sharp and expressive, with satisfactory instrumentation and an accurate supportive position that doesn't smother the performances.

A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:01, HD) has been included.

A Touch of Sin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a few indulgent scenes of abstraction that feel alien to the humanist effort put forth, yet nothing derails the focus of "A Touch of Sin." Satiric touches register clearly, even to foreign viewers, and the director's interest in exposing the disparity of life in China never wavers, painting a fascinating portrait of disposable people reclaiming their importance, albeit in vicious ways. The film's technical credits are superb, highlighting expanse and claustrophobia, and editing duties are smoothly executed. "A Touch of Sin" has cinematic qualities worth extensive study, but it always returns to an intimate place of reflection, remaining with the characters as they reach a point of no return. It's not always an easy picture to endure or even understand, but when it locates that primal sensation of frustration and discouragement, it pulls off the shadings of human behavior with stunning accuracy.