The Wild Goose Lake

The Wild Goose Lake (Chinese: 南方车站的聚会; pinyin: Nánfāng Chēzhàn de Jùhuì; lit. 'Meeting at South Train Station') is a 2019 Chinese neo-noir crime thriller[6] directed by Diao Yinan. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 edition of Cannes Film Festival.[7][8]

The Wild Goose Lake
Festival poster
Traditional南方車站的聚會
Simplified南方车站的聚会
MandarinNánfāng Chēzhàn de Jùhuì
Directed byDiao Yinan[1]
Produced byLi Li[1]
Written byDiao Yinan[1]
Starring
Music byB6[1]
CinematographyDong Jinsong[1]
Edited by
  • Kong Jinlei
  • Matthieu Laclau[1]
Production
companies
  • Green Ray Films
  • Maisong Entertainment Investment[1]
Distributed by
  • Memento Films (France)[1]
Release date
Country
LanguageWuhan dialect[2][4]
Box office$31 million[5][3]

Plot

The film opens with Zhou Zenong meeting with Liu Aiai at a train station. Zhou is expecting to meeting with his wife but Liu Aiai has been sent instead by Huahua an associate of Zhou's. Zhou recounts that he is the leader of a small gang who steals motorbikes. One of his subordinates, Red hair, shot a rival in the leg during an argument about territory. The rival gang wanted revenge on Red Hair and Zhou and set a trap for them. Red hair is killed and Zhou is shot twice. While trying to escape in the rain, Zhou accidentally shot and killed a policeman, mistaking him for the rival gang.

Meanwhile, the police deduce he will hide at Wild Goose Lake; a lawless area of Wuhan, and set a dragnet there for him. The leader of the police is Captain Liu. The police have Shujin under surveillance.

Zhou had sought out Huahua, an associate he trusts, to get his wife Shujin so that they can leave together. Huahua is a pimp at Wild Goose Lake and Liu Aiai is one of his "bathing beauties" who service customers at the lake. Liu Aiai who is not known to the police is used as a middle person by Huahua.

The police offer a 300,000 yuan, dead or alive, award for Zhou. When Zhou learns of the reward he wants Liu to arrange for his wife to turn him in so that his wife can collect the reward. Huahua is interested in collecting the reward for himself. Meanwhile the rival gang is also looking to collect the reward and kill Zhou in the process. Zhou is eventually trapped by the rival gang and stabbed by the rival who was shot earlier. Zhou is able to kill the rival and escape but is being actively hunted by the rival gang. The police hear the gunshots from the rival gang (who kill a passerby in the process) and is actively searching the streets for Zhou. Liu believes that Zhou suspects her of betraying him and tries to run away from him. In trying to escape Liu runs into Yan who recognizes her as one of Huahua's prostitutes. Yan forces Liu into having sex and Zhou saves her.

Zhou tells her that he is hungry and wants food and Liu and Yang go to the back of a noodle shop. While settling the bill with the noodle shop owner, the police arrive and trap Zhou in the shop. Zhou is able to shoot his way out but is eventually shot and killed by the police.

Liu Aiai later collects the reward and is driven by the Captain Liu to the bank with the cash. While getting cigarettes the Captain sees Liu Aiai leave the bank with the money. He follows her and sees her meeting up with Zhou's wife Shujin.

Cast

Release

The film had its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2019.[2] It was released in China on 6 December 2019[2][3] and in France on 25 December 2019.[1] Its release for Blu-ray and DVD sales took place on 7 July 2020.[3]

Reception

Box office

The Wild Goose Lake grossed $12,573 in the United States and Canada and $31 million in other territories.[5][3]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 68 reviews, with an average rating of 7.47/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Smart and stylish, The Wild Goose Lake blends B-movie thrills with bold filmmaking choices and thought-provoking social commentary."[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

References
  1. "The Wild Goose Lake French press notes" (PDF) (in French). Memento Films. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  2. "南方车站的聚会 (豆瓣)" (in Chinese). Douban. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  3. "Nan Fang Che Zhan De Ju Hui (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. Davis, Rebecca (19 May 2019). "Diao Yinan on Cannes Pic Wild Goose Lake: 'I Try to Portray the Opposite of a Utopia'". Variety.
  5. "The Wild Goose Lake (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. James Lattimer; British Film Institute; The Wild Goose Lake first look: Diao Yinan spins a dazzling neon neo-noir
  7. "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. "The Screenings Guide 2019". 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  9. "The Wild Goose Lake (Nan fang che zhan de ju hui) (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  10. "The Wild Goose Lake Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
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