Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

I went into this expecting a slow and boring film, but was pleasantly surprised to find it both engaging and frenetic at points. The plot of Mountain Patrol centers on a mountain reserve along the Chinese-Tibetan border and the real-life fight between antelope poachers and a group of volunteer antelope protectors.

One main aspect of the film I was pleased with was the way it compared to our study of Italian Neo-Realism. Director Chasun Lu used mostly outdoor settings and actors that seemed more like everyday people, much like the studio-less Neo-Realist works. The settings themselves also took on a life of their own and became almost another leading character in the film. The harsh climate and terrain both hindered and helped the poachers as well as the volunteer force throughout the piece.

Another aspect of the film I found important is the almost maniacal determination of the leader of the volunteer force, and how it shown through the mis-en-scene. As he slowly sinks deeper and deeper into his dimensia surrounding his mission, the landscape and lighting of film moves from bad to worse to show the isolation he is feeling, or at least showing.

Overall, I was glad to see this movie had many more levels than I was expected and am glad to have been able to see it.