Destiny

来者何人

China, 2019, colour, 2.35:1, 94 mins.

Director: Chai Lipeng 柴立鹏.

Rating: 6/10.

Low-budget village whodunit holds the attention, thanks to a twisty screenplay and strong characters.

STORY

Tucheng village, somewhere in northwest China, c. 2010, 16 Jan. Still recovering from a broken leg, local doctor Liu Xinshen (Qu Yang) does his rounds on a motorised chair and a crutch. He visits a long-term patient, Kang Xiaoyan (Liu Xiaohong), but is literally thrown out on to the street by her son, village black sheep Chen Quan (Zhang Yongkang), who dislikes the close friendship between the two. At his clinic, Liu Xinshen finds Zhang Laifu (Lei Qiyu), the slightly retarded adopted son of Zhang Jingfang (Xie Tian) and Huo Yuanchun (Zhang Qiong), both of whom dislike the boy. Liu Xinshen, who is the boy’s godfather, looks after Zhang Laifu as if he’s his own son. That evening, at the traditional fire-jumping ceremony 跳火堆, village head Wang (Zhang Yifang) reminds everyone that the village’s demolition is imminent; government compensation will come only after individual properties have been measured and agreed on. He proposes his own son Wang Jun (Zhang Jianzong) to be put in charge of the demolition and relocation process, as he’s the only person in the village with a university education. Chen Quan noisily opposes the idea but is voted down by the other villagers. Next day Chen Quan physically attacks Wang Jun in the street after an argument. He is also in a dispute with his mother’s immediate neighbours, Zhang Jingfang and Huo Yuanchun, over ownership of a passage between the two houses. As inspectors are arriving to measure properties for compensation, he wants to find the title deeds of his mother’s house, which have mysteriously gone missing. Wang Jun berates Liu Xinshen for not standing up to Chen Quan, especially as it was Chen Quan who broke his leg. The next morning Chen Quan is found dead by a railway bridge, with a fatal head wound. In front of the police, Kang Xiaoyan accuses Wang Jun of being the murderer, because of her son’s attack on him. In turn, Wang Jun accuses Zhang Jingfang, because of his property dispute with Chen Quan. Accusations fly around the village, with Huo Yanchun even accusing Kang Xiaoyan and Liu Xinshen of conspiring to kill Chen Quan. Others defend the doctor as a good man, but then Kang Xiaoyan starts to believe it was he who murdered her son. The real truth, it turns out, has its roots in the past, 30 years ago.

REVIEW

A intriguingly structured whodunit, set in a gossip-riddled village in northwest China, Destiny 来者何人 holds the attention throughout its compact running time thanks to strongly-drawn characters, an ever-shifting perspective and a solution that isn’t half as simple as it originally seems. Heavily reliant on flashbacks, but in a generally interesting way, it’s more of a brainteaser than a suspense-mystery. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive film-making debut by young Lanzhou-based writer-director Chai Lipeng 柴立鹏, who succeeds in making a drama set in his native Gansu province that has a strong sense of place without being drowned by local customs. With its no-name cast and limited distribution, box office for the modest undertaking has, alas, been microscopic.

Starting with several scenes that only become clear during the latter half, the film initially centres on the village doctor, a kindly old bachelor who’s recovering from a broken leg, has a longtime affection for one of his female patients, and cares for a partially retarded kid who’s been rejected by his adoptive parents. As the doc hobbles around on a crutch, it quickly becomes clear the village is a hotbed of gossip, and things aren’t helped by the fact it’s due to be demolished and the inhabitants compensated and resettled very soon. The doctor’s female friend has a no-good, thuggish son who’s universally hated or feared and is in a property dispute with his mother’s immediate neighbours. When he’s found dead, there’s no shortage of suspects.

Whether Chai has read (or is even aware of) Agatha Christie or not, the film – and especially its plotting and characters – is almost a regional Chinese take on the famous British author’s whodunits, especially those set in villages. Chai’s structural twist, from the 30-minute point on, is to insert flashbacks that not only add important new information but also are fuller versions of scenes already shown. In its final 40 minutes the film becomes rather too reliant on flashbacks – as well as a bit stretched out, despite all the revelations – but as a whole Chai’s screenplay (from an original story by Ren Jidong 任继东) at least manages to tie up all its loose ends in a believable way, which is more than can be said for many whodunits.

As the doctor whose story threads through the mystery, TV actor Qu Yang 屈扬 is very good, commanding but not dominating the screen, and establishing an easy chemistry with actress Liu Xiaohong 刘晓红 as his longtime (but unreliable) _amorata_. Zhang Yongkang 张永康 invests his role of the village’s black sheep with a tangible sense of physical threat, while both Xie Tian 谢添 and Zhang Qiong 张琼 are strongly etched as the quarrelsome neighbours.

The fictional village is never seen in full but is clearly tiny, judging by scenes in which its inhabitants gather together. Widescreen photography by Kong Deming 孔德明 and Dong Jian 董剑 is clean and unfussy, handheld but always well composed, and catching the cold, bright light of a northern winter. Music by Wang Jian 王健 is mostly washes of synths for atmosphere or mystery, and only occasionally more emotional.

The film was shot in 20 days in Hongcheng township, Yongdeng county, Lanzhou municipality, Gansu province, in Jan 2018. The Chinese title roughly means “Who Goes There”. From internal evidence the story seems to be set around 2010.

CREDITS

Presented by Lanzhou Kaola Cultural Diffusion (CN), Gansu Apsara Films (CN). Produced by Lanzhou Kaola Cultural Diffusion (CN).

Script: Chai Lipeng. Original story: Ren Jidong. Photography: Kong Deming, Dong Jian. Editing: Wang Tao, Chai Lipeng. Music: Wang Jian. Art direction: Gou Wanrong. Costumes: Ma Rujie. Sound: Li Mingyu, Wang Baoxin, Ji Qiao. Executive direction: Sun Qi.

Cast: Qu Yang (Liu Xinshen), Liu Xiaohong (Kang Xiaoyan), Lei Qiyu (Zhang Laifu/Raffle), Zhang Yongkang (Chen Quan, Kang Xiaoyan’s son), Xie Tian (Zhang Jingfang), Zhang Qiong (Huo Yuanchun, Zhang Jingfang’s wife), Zhang Yifang (Wang, village head), Zhang Jianzong (Wang Jun, village head’s son).

Release: China, 30 Oct 2019.