Watch Peacock
Watch Peacock movie
- IMDB rating: 6.30
- IMDB votes: 784
- Release Date: 2010
- Category:
- Thriller /
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- Wash begins to feel threatened by the bond between Mal and Zoe. In order to see for himself how the two work together, Wash demands that he goes on a mission with Mal to sell the stolen Ariel medical supplies instead of Zoe. Unfortunately, the ruthless and sadistic gangster Niska has found out where the Serenity is and captures Mal and Wash and tortures them as revenge for their failure in the train robbery mission (from The Train Job episode). Meanwhile, Inara has another client whom is a wealthy counsel person on the planet they're on and to the crew's surprise, the client is a woman. When Zoe learns about Niska's abduction of Wash and Mal, she tries to strike a bargain for their release, but Niska steals all their money and stolen cargo, while releasing only Wash. Wash realizes that Mal was willing to sacrifice himself for Wash, he persuades Zoe, Jayne and Book and the rest of the crew to help him launch a rescue mission in a full-scale attack on Niska's fortified space station to save Mal. Also, River begins showing more developing powers when she displays some accurate 'blind-shooting' during the rescue when Kaylee is pinned down during the climatic gun battle.
- tags: Peacock, Wash, begins, feel, threatened, bond, between, order, himself, work, together, demands, that, goes, mission, with, sell, stolen, Ariel, medical, supplies, instead, Unfortunately, ruthless, sadistic, gangster, Niska, found, where, Serenity, captures, tortures, them, revenge, their, failure, train, robbery, from, Train, episode, Meanwhile, Inara, another, client, whom, wealthy, counsel, person, planet, they're, crew's, surprise, woman, When, learns, about, Niska's, abduction, tries, strike, bargain, release, steals, money, cargo, while, releasing, only, realizes, willing, sacrifice, persuades, Jayne, Book, rest, crew, help, launch, rescue, full-scale, attack, fortified, space, station, save, Also, River, showing, more, developing, powers, when, displays, some, accurate, 'blind-shooting', during, Kaylee, pinned, down, climatic, battle
Added: 28 January 2008
Vote: 3
Pathetic miserable and not viewer-friendly, at all
Every single character in this movie is either mean or plain stupid,and utterly pathetic. If you just want cruel reality to see howmiserable life can be, how life can suck EVERY MOMENT IN EVERY WAY,then Peacock is your best bet, even better than jail..
There seems to be some strong 'subtle' emotions that the directorwanted to deliver, I didn't get it and I doubt people who haven'treally been through the years in the movie can. Many details werepainfully true to the old days (which might still be a good thing) butall things were made to go extreme pretentiously. Was the film intendedonly for viewers who no longer wants to taste real joy from life?? Gumay be an outstanding cinematographer, but he should stay just it.
Added: 16 June 2005
Vote: 1
Something that forces you to contemplate.
A film that bears no intention to entertain but a second viewing ormore.I was 17 and I rent it home and I began to experience italone.Dreams achingly dreamed and dreams never fulfilled.I was 17 andonly cherished a rather vague outline of China in the late1970s;China,my motherland.An age during which mass insanity wasgradually quenched with mores still overwhelmingly domineeringthroughout the country.Blue trousers and white blouses and neatlytied-up long hair.You might encounter various feminine visages,butsurely you wouldn't ever meet more than one style of dressing.It justwent that way,like what the world sees now in North Korea.But hey,let'snot be silly as to apply terms like human rights,etc. to the movie.Itrepels me to have to put up with those who're for ever seeking toimpose upon any piece of art unnecessary or even absurd messages whichit itself isn't even aware of.It's pregnant only with messages boundfor it to be pregnant with,and let's not go too far and interpret nomore.
User: lnp3Added: 16 June 2006
Vote: 4
A touching film about China's lower middle-class
Set in 1976 in some unidentified midsize city, "Peacock" tells thestory of three young adult members of the Gao family trying to maketheir way in post-Cultural Revolution China. This is very much afleeting moment in time when Chinese society is still marked by theausterity of the Maoist era and when foundational beliefs in communismhave all but vanished--soon to be replaced by consumerism.
Structured as a kind of trilogy that puts each child successively intothe foreground, it begins with the tale of Weihong (Zhang Jingchu), thedaughter and youngest child. Returning home one day on her bicycle, sheexperiences an almost mystical encounter with a group of male andfemale paratroopers parachuting into a nearby field. When the parachutestrings of the squad leader, a handsome man with a Beijing accent (asthe subtitle indicates), gets tangled in her handle-bars, she resolvesat that moment to become a paratrooper herself. That decision has moreto do with the romance of the uniform, an attraction to the squadleader and the esthetics of the blue silk parachute than it does withthe legend of the Red Army. Furthermore, the Beijing accent has acertain cachet for Weihong, which for denizens of her city must havethe same class connotations that an Oxbridge accent has for somebodyliving in the East End of London.
After the Red Army rejects her application, she carries a torch bothfor the handsome squad leader and the numinous parachute. At home shesews together her own parachute, attaches it to the back of her bikelike a kite and rides through the streets until unceremoniouslycrashing into another bike. While she lies semiconscious on the street,an admirer, whom she has rejected in the past, takes the parachutehostage. He will only release it after she has had sex with him in anearby forest. In this film, love--like all other ideals--comes inshort supply.
full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2006/06/16/peacock/
Added: 4 August 2009
Vote: 3
And life goes on...
This is one of the finest Chinese films of the 2000s - a good case canbe made for it as being amongst the four or five best Chinese films ofthe decade, given the fact that Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou have gonecommercial and there seems to be a vacuum in the Mainland Chinesefilm-making industry. "Peacock" deserves its Silver Bear every bit.
"Peacock" recounts the life of an ordinary Mainland Chinese family in asmall city immediately after the Cultural Revolution. The eldestbrother is obese and mentally challenged, while the second daughter israther headstrong and independent. The youngest brother, an oldadolescent, is schooling. The film begins in 1977 and ends more thanhalf a decade later in 1984; the film follows how this three ordinarysiblings go on with their lives and how people and events in one's lifeintersect another.
This film is very different from the lives of Chinese as depicted in,say, "The Blue Kite" or "To Live", because the traumas of the CulturalRevolution are over by then. "Peacock" is deliberately understated,sometimes to the point of minimalism, but unlike the films of, say, thecontemporary Hou Hsiao-Hsien, there are always some incidents thatundercut the seemingly drab and commonplace lifestyle of people in acity during a period where the Chinese are coming to terms with a neweconomic lifestyle. The colors, the music are sometimes muted, directorGu uses an undersaturated palette to draw attention to the mundanelifestyle of this working family. The acting in this movie is excellentthroughout, but Zhang Jingchu gives perhaps the most beautiful screendepiction in Chinese cinema since Zhang Ziyi's. The events in theirlives are not something out of the ordinary, but given realistic,poetic treatment by the director. Yet the film is not one whetsentimental. I agree with a fellow IMDb reviewer, melodrama is in shortmeasure here.
A very appreciable film, whose brilliance will only strike you midwayinto the runtime. This is clearly one of the best Chinese films of thedecade, and may be one of the handful of films worth watching from2005.
Added: 23 March 2005
Vote: 5
How many dreams can we have in our lives?
After getting the silver bear award in the Berlin International FilmFestival, the film "Peacock" drew quite a lot of people's attentions,including me. I didn't read any synopsis or articles before going tothe cinema. The film started while my knowing nothing about it."Peacock" is three stories about three people-the elder sister whokeeps on seeking her dream, the elder brother who is not so smart butpretty kind, and the young brother who wants to get out of the cage ofhis family. Life is like this. Having a dream, then the dream isbroken. Having another dream, than the dream is broken again. And wegrow up during getting and losing out dreams. When looking back to thepast, we can hardly believe that we ever had such a beautiful dream.That's what we call youth. It passed like flowing water, without anyattachment. What is your dream? Make it come true before it is gone.Life is just as short as a peacock's spreading its tail. In fact, Iwasn't deeply attracted by the film when watching it for the firsttime. However, I found it difficult to help thinking about it again andagain the following days. I didn't really realize the bitters of lifein the film without spending some time. It must be the reason why"Peacock" fascinates me and many of us a lot.
User: sunnydlitaAdded: 22 June 2006
Vote: 5
Honest but rich depiction of families and everyday life
I just saw "Peacock" tonight as part of the New York Asian FilmFestival. The review I read prior to watching this film touted it asone of the few stories set in post-Revolutionary China that isn'tdepressing. While this is true, "Peacock" is not sentimental either.Instead, it depicts the realities of small-town family life in amatter-of-fact manner that makes you feel for the characters even more.
The family dynamics were so real and relatable. Although I amChinese-American, and my upbringing took place in comfortable suburbanAmerica, I could definitely recognize elements like the passiveaggressive "tough love" of the mother toward the daughter (although myown mom is not quite so extreme), and the painful awkwardness ofhuddling in silence with my brother while family members audibly foughtin the other room. The love-hate rivalry and relationships that eachmember of the family felt for one another, co-mingled with the acceptedduties of filial piety and self-sacrifice (nowhere is this realizedmore than in the two younger siblings' treatment and attitude towardtheir older brother), was nuanced and realistic.
The performances were all amazing, particularly the actresses whoplayed the mother and the daughter. The elder actress' portrayal of ahardworking woman who loved her entire family but expressed itdifferently toward different family members made me want to call up mymom right after the movie. And the actress who played the daughter madea role that could have come off a bit bratty into a three-dimensionalcharacter whom you could root for. She was perfectly vulnerable andtough at the same time. Truly a unique character.
The only flaw I found in "Peacock" was that the third act felt rushed,and plot progression was suddenly very abrupt. The third act wasostensibly about the youngest child (the narrator), but I learned moreabout him when he was "silent as a shadow" in the first two acts....SPOILERS BELOW... .. .. .. It was hard to relate to him after hesuddenly blew back into town, complete with swagger and a worldly newfamily. It felt a bit out of character, but also -- I didn't realizethat being pulled out of school (all because of one dirty drawing?)meant that he ran away from home, and also, how did he go from servingat a rest home (in character) to being a cocky smoker? How did he losea finger? How did he become so shiftless and lazy? And when did hereconcile with his wife? (In the penultimate scene with the two ofthem, she says she wouldn't have married him if she had known he didn'twant to work for a living, but then in the final peacock scene, theylook like a happy family again.) .. .. .. Despite what I perceive as arushed ending with holes in character and story development, the filmas a whole is beautiful, both sensually and content-wise. It is arealistic and compassionate depiction of family life that I believemost viewers will find to be fairly universal.
Added: 21 May 2007
Vote: 5
Really good movie, one of the best Chinese movies I have seen in several years
We finally watched this a few nights ago. I brought the DVD back fromChina a few months ago. This is an extremely good movie -- in myopinion one of the best movies from China that I have seen in a while-- and I am surprised and disappointed that it hasn't been released inthe states yet. This is not a bloated and overwrought effort at an epicof the sort that has become so common in China.
This is a touching study of the siblings in a single family, and theirstruggle to get by. This may seem like an odd analogy, but watching itmade me think of Yasujiro Ozu's movies. Obviously the film is aboutChina and not Japan, but there are some parallels in terms of the useof a single family as a lens for evoking a changing society. Someonewith an interest in China could learn a lot about society there duringthe seventies and eighties.
As one would expect given Gu Changwei's background as acinematographer, the film is absolutely beautiful to look at.
I hope this is released in the States - if it hasn't been already - soothers have an opportunity to enjoy it.
Added: 20 March 2005
Vote: 9
Not your usual Hollywood
This is actually an excellent work of art full of symbolism. Thedirector doesn't force to impose his ideas into your mind, which is thevery reason the pace is set slow. The movie was exposed with strongcinematic languages, such as stage drama-like long shots, great acting,and finally fabulous music. The music matches the theme so well that weare reminded of the music composed by Glass for "The Hours". Itcircumvents your usual expectation of a social environment of MainlandChina in late 1970s' and early 1980s', during which the Chinese societywas in the dawn of spectacular transformation, economically andculturally. It tells the story of the cruel reality of life. It lookslike there is not bit happiness in the movie. No true love, no respectbetween people, all about humiliation and desperation, leaving alonerealizing one's dreams. But the movie reveals tremendoussubconsciousness of a lot of people who failed to express it bythemselves and presents profound, twisted human nature in certainsocial circumstances. If you ever lived through that period in China(maybe even now, for some people, in some part of that country,although the situation has been greatly improved), it inspires enormousimagination and thoughts. Life, life, life, how many people didn'tenjoy your beauty before you pass by without a trace? Surely theconcepts of human dignity and meanings of life come upon surface again.The style is so "anti-Hollywood" and so efficient and once again provesthat the language of films is universal. What a shame that only a verylimited population have gotten the chance to watch it. Although it'spretty long (144 minutes), you just expect more from this greatcameraman-turned-movie director. So what's his next? Could he recruitenough resource to make a movie about today's China with philosophicalsymbol? One can't help but holding his breath because this man isdefinitely talented enough to get out one some day.
User: sisuallenAdded: 17 April 2005
Vote: 9
Great movies always remind us of our past and Peacock is one of them
I am 21 year old now, although I don't belong to the time in which thestory of Peacock happened, I am a Chinese anyway and I know it wouldtake place in those years and I feel glad and of course proud thatsomeone has put it on screen at last.
We are living in this world, sometimes without a clear purpose:study,work,date and love, not realizing that what we are doing now iscalled living because life has a magic to obsess its victims withtrifles so that they seldom notice that hours,days or months has passedby. Only when we occidentally see a picture taken years ago or view avideo starred by our young images,do we find out the trick of life andbegin to recall the passing time. Reminiscing is pleasant both for theyoung and the elder. Memories,no matter sweet or bitter,are like oldsongs, which will never fail to touch you the moment you catch thefamiliar tunes.
For me,Peacock is a reminder to my own childhood. Although I live in adifferent time, the movie does have some traces of the unchangedchildhood of every Chinese. We have our dreams but we dare not talkabout it with our parents, because in 9 out of 10 cases, our parentswill not be impressed by our 'naive' dream and in their eyes, studyingis the only way for us. In our adolescence, we boys were very curiousabout girls but we never had the education about sex and the only thingwe were thought was that 'don't do stupid things with girls' and thatwas the comment about sex or about love.
To some extent, Peacock remains a story which also has some truth. Idon't believe in the parachute, but now I think it is only a symbol ofdream.It seems a little unreal when a realism contains somethingromantic.However, it is a 100 percent masterpiece and I'd like to watchit again in spite of the length.
Added: 18 September 2005
Vote: 8
Dreams don't always come true
The story is set in the 1970s in a small town in China. A middle agedcouple has three children. The eldest son is obese and mentallychallenged, therefore he is teased and outcasted by others. The secondchild is an outgoing and energetic daughter, who is not afraid of doinganything to pursue her dreams or to survive. The youngest child is ashy and quiet boy who is ashamed by his older brother and tries tobreak away from the misery in his family. Breaking into three sectionsfocusing on each of these siblings, the film allows us to look into thelives of ordinary Chinese people the 70s.
With poetic cinematography, this film reveals fascinating stories andcharacters to the audience. After watching this film, I doubt thatanybody would forget the image of an old lady slowly passing thedinning table in the hall way where the family has supper togethereveryday. We witness how the three siblings dreamed, how they fought tomake their dreams come true, and how they succeeded or failed, and howpowerless and hopeless they were to accept their fate.
This is a must see, not to be missed.
Added: 11 April 2005
Vote: 9
Poetic & cinematographic
Before I went to see this movie in Lithuanian non-Hollywood filmfestival Kino Pavasaris, I was warned by friends, that I must prepareto watch a very depressive film from China. And I'm wondering why itdidn't seem depressive to me at all. Not a comedy, I must admit, but amasterpiece about life. Maybe some people think so because of it'sending, I don't know. Kong Que or peacock is a must see Chinese dramafor those, who still love cinema. And for those who still wants to besurprised by it. The only weak side of Kong Que is a story about theyoungest son in a family, which isn't so impressive as the stories ofhis siblings. Anyway, acting, directing & cinematography is great. Ihope you'll have great time watching it, as I did. But be prepared thismovie is longer than 2 hours.
User: Jugu Abraham (jugu_abraham@yahoo.co.uk)Added: 19 December 2005
Vote: 10
A gorgeous family epic that makes the audience positively review life around us
When accomplished cinematographers take to direction, they often makesuperb films (William Fraker's "Monte Walsh", Nicholas Roeg's "Don'tLook Now" and Govind Nihalani's "Aakrosh") that are often accepted asgreat movies much later. In the case of cinematographer-turned-directorChangwei Gu, to be awarded a Silver Bear for his debut as director musthave been nothing short of a dream start into a new career.
Interestingly director Gu, opted to entrust the camera to Shu Yang andnot do the job the world knew him to be accomplished at. Director Gu,however, opts to act as a lonely, blind accordion player who commitssuicide.
I am not Chinese but this film had me enraptured from start to finish.The film had superb music by Peng Dou (courtesy Chinese NationalSymphony Orchestra), enchanting photography, incredible performancesand a multi-layered story of a close-knit five member family withfamily values best appreciated in Asian communities. Though the film isset in the late Seventies in the years following the CulturalRevolution, the film is almost devoid of direct political comments.
The film is a common man's epic. The film is a 144 minute film(originally 4 hours) that was easily the most rewarding film at thejust concluded Dubai Film Festival. It is a tale of a 5 member familytold in three segments by the three children: a daughter who causestrouble for the family but emerges from an ugly duckling into a matureand cynical swan; an elder son who is mentally challenged, physicallybloated, but pure in heart; and a younger son, loving, sensitive andoccasionally worldly wise. The three perspectives of the family arepunctuated by a cardinal shot of the family eating a simple meal. LikeKurosawa's "Rashomon," the three versions offering differentperspectives of the family provide cinematic entertainment that isdemanding of the viewer.
The first segment of the story from the view of the girl is richer thanthe other two, primarily due to the rich musical subplot of herinteractions with the blind musician (played by the director). Thesegment offers fodder for the impressionable dreamer in all of us: thepower and the glory associated with a parachutist soldier, theimportance of getting married to a loving husband, and the importanceof playing music very well as an escape route from the daily socialdrudgery of washing bottles.
The second segment told from the perspective of the mentally challengedbrother looks at society and predictable collective reactions to simpleincidents that are not based on reason or analysis.
The third segment told from the practical younger brother's view takesanother perspective--the best way to survive in an evolving societythat is neither one of a dreamer or one of submission to mass reaction.
The film ends with three families of the sister and two brotherspassing a peacock in a zoo. They state the peacock never dances in thewinter. As they move on, the peacock does dance. The beauty of life isbest perceived as you move away from the incidents and look at it froma distance, dispassionately. Melodrama takes a back seat. In theforefront, the director presents a philosophical, positive view oflife--not in the least limited to the geographical boundaries of China.
I wish more people get to see this gorgeous family epic from China. Itis one of the finest films of the decade.
Added: 6 March 2005
Vote: 13
refinely intricate
The director (or may be the screen writer, I don't know who to creditfor) created an unusual film that is extremely real and plain yet fullof drama and surprises. In the beginning of the movie, I thought it isjust another typical art-house film. Slow-paced, good cinematography,weird characters, and other elements that aim to showcase thedirector's style. Yet as the film gradually reveals all of its wonders,I realized that the director intentionally stayed low-key to deliver asubtle message about our real daily life that otherwise would beovershadowed by anything less delicate.
The story is about a family from the perspectives of its threechildren. It is one family yet every one of the children has a completedifferent experience and view of their childhood. From one person'sperspective, you may believe something about the family. Yet you haveto change your ideas when another perspective is shared. As you learnmore and more about the family, you see that the people are justentrapped in their perspective and creating their own reality. Theychoose to see what they want to see and unknowingly get what theycreated for themselves.
The director is extremely efficient. Every scene reveal much about thecharacters and naturally hold the story together wasting almost notime. Concurrently the movie presented both the heaviness of our dailygrind and the possibility of liberation. (since we set the trapourselves, we can liberate ourselves). So behind the masquerade of aslow-paced art-house film, the movie is really an "action-packed" or,better, "emotion-packed" discourse on human nature and our search forhappiness. Only because of the refined realism in this movie, thesubtle message is allowed to be expressed fully. Anything less delicatewill not do.
