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AUDIO-VISUAL WORLD n a country where the iPhone 4 sold out within days of its release, and commuters pass their subway rides twiddling away on their phones, it’s hard to imagine Ia time when consumers were suspicious of mobile technology. And yet, it’s easy to forget that in the ![_PMVKMTTXPWVM[ÅZ[\KIUMW]\ people reacted with ambivalence as well as excitement about this new and exciting invasion of privacy. Nowhere is this more evident than in famed director Feng Xiaogang’s 2003 hit “Cell Phone” (ĖऐėSh6uj~), a cautionary tale about the more sinister possibilities of cell phone use. Though the movie may seem irrelevant and even kitschy in an age when cell phones have become as omnipresent and mundane as wristwatches, it nevertheless expresses an anxiety that remains alive today— namely, of the whirlwind changes and advances that continue to transform China’s society and relationships. The plot is simple, the kind that is revealed more or less entirely in the trailers. Yan Shouyi (Ge You) is a charismatic TV host in his 40s, a self-made man from humble beginnings. Along with his wife, Yu Wenjuan (Lu Zhang), Yan lives a TI^Q[PÆI[PaTQNMQV*MQRQVO[XMVLQVO his days lolling around in the couple’s plush western apartment and Cell Phone VI^QOI\QVOKQ\a\ZINÅKQVPQ[[PQVa *5?)[XIZ\WN +PQVI¼[]XXMZ crust, the couple occupies an enviable Mistresses, scandals and position, in which money serves as a technological paranoia buffer between them and the kind of “real life” trials and tribulations faced 手机带给我们的不仅仅是方 by most Chinese.
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Issue 4/2011 AIVZMKW^MZ[Y]QKSTa[MMUQVO to gossip about whether or not the more the victim of a wounded ego storyline of “Cell Phone” was based than a wounded heart), and gets WVZMITM^MV\[ AUDIO-VISUAL WORLDAUDIO-VISUAL communication, and simultaneously began to chip away at our personal privacy—and, perhaps, our self-control. 1VI[KMVMI\\PMMVLAIVQ[PIVLML a new cell phone as an incentive for starring in a commercial. The chipper promoter shows him the newest version of a cell phone, one complete with a built-in camera (gasp!) and even a GPS system. PR girl: This is the cell phone that our company wants to give to you as a gift. ) This cell phone is very advanced. I’ll show ቶቛઐ you the features. ( HAO Zh- sh# w6men g4ngs~ s7ng n!n zu# x~n de y3ngj~. Z ANA W6men de zh-ge sh6uj~ k0 xi`nj#n le, w6 l1i g0i D BY n!n y2nsh# y2nsh#. ᄣऐăڦኄ்ࠅິໃፌႎ LLUSTRATIONS I ኄ߲ऐံକLjઠ (Yan waves the phone away, and theڦ் ߴᄇ๖ᄇ๖ă girl teases him, while trying to take his picture.) THE DANGERS ARE (Turns cell phone on) CAMPY AND DŽਸऐDž Yan: I don’t want a cell phone; no one is looking for me. QUAINT It has a service called Monternet by China W6 b%y3o sh6uj~, m9i r9n zh2o w6. Mobile. And GPS system! փᄲऐLjுටቴă T` d3i Y!d7ng M-ngw2ng, h1iy6u w-ix~ng UIOVQÅMLMNNMK\VM_\MKPVWTWOQM[PI^M d#ngw-i! PR girl: I’m looking for you. Let me take had on the rising class of nouveau \ྪ-!࣏ᆶ࿐႓ۨ࿋" a picture of you! ZQKPMSMMVWVN]TÅTTQVO\PMQZQVL]TOMVۯᅎټ W6 h1i zh2o n!n ne. W6 g0i n!n zh3o zh`ng _PQU[_PM\PMZ[M`]ITWZUI\MZQIT1\ Cell phone: You are located at Beijing xi3ng ba. also asks the audience to think a little Chaoyang District Daxiyang Xincheng 3 ࣏ቴ఼ăߴቷቧ၎ӕă harder the next time they pick up their Door 210 Building, 21 B. phone to write a text, take a picture N@ xi3nz3i de w-izhi sh# B0ij~ng sh# Ch1oy1ngq$, ?PQTM\PMÅTUQ\[MTN Q[V¼\M`IK\TaI or (even) make a phone call. Not only D3x~y1ng X~nch9ng s`n m9n -r y`o l!ng l5u great piece of cinema—the narcissistic because virtual tracks hard to cover— -rsh!y~ B. and whiny main characters make but because, as technology complicates little a more, and more lives ᄞ൶-! \PMXTW\LQNÅK]T\\WZMTI\M\W¸¹+MTT ourו࿋ዃԛڦ၄ሞే ད thing. good a be can transparency the at glimpse a provides ဇᄝႎ4ோ321୍32C/ Phone”ٷ क़ 91 AUDIO-VISUAL WORLD OLIVIA GAO OLIVER MÜLLER ASHLEY ROSE YOUNT I can see why it would have caused This film shows how perceptions can I’m glued to my iPhone, so this ) a ripple in China at the time, for change and how well we can adapt movie did seem a bit outdated. I can what was about to come in terms to new technologies. When new see how it won over the Chinese ቶቛઐ ( of technology. I guess for young technologies permeate society there crowd, as it is extremely dramatic. HAO Z Chinese people now, the film would are always skeptics that fear the I guess though, that sometimes ANA D BY be completely out of touch with their loss of the status quo, but given the technology does fail me; like when realities, as the new generation is overwhelming positive effects, this my alarm on my phone didn’t go off glued to their cell. rejection can only be temporary. today… LLUSTRATIONS I Issue 4/2011