Caught by the Tides

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Lesley H If I could give 0 star I would Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review alan g Still hokeywoods fascination with Asian crap. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/28/25 Full Review MB C More meditation than narrative, Caught by the Tides is a poetic journey through memory, love, and time. Blending archival footage with new material, director Jia Zhangke crafts a non-linear, almost wordless reflection on a woman's decades-long yearning amidst China's social and political transformations...... This is cinema as visual diary—fragmented, melancholic, and intentionally elusive. Zhao Tao delivers a haunting performance using silence and subtle gestures in place of dialogue, while the film’s dreamlike editing and naturalistic imagery lend it an emotional rawness...... Though it may alienate viewers seeking a clear plot, Caught by the Tides rewards patience with moments of aching beauty—particularly a climactic, mask-covered reunion that speaks louder than words...... Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/27/25 Full Review Kevin L I 'got' what I got of this film, and the rest...? Ja nevim, nerozumím. Viewers should not have to know a director's filmography pretty thoroughly to grasp why certain scenes are in a new movie he's made. It's the director's job to express (show not so much tell) why those scenes, why those decisions/actions, are in the movie. So there are scenes from past films of his, some that were cut so the viewer wouldn't know the scenes but merely have some remembrance (maybe) of a character(s). I can grasp some element of why character's names from "Ash Is Purest White (excellent movie) are here. Apparently, "Still Life" is connected as well, but I haven't seen that one. But taking in the aspects of how Zhangke is commenting on China's significant cultural/sociopolitical changes over decades, some themes and scenes become more clear. Like the documentary type scene of the building owner talking about the dilapidated old building he has bought and 'touched up' some, which includes a large painting of Mao he was encouraged to keep and maintain with its original appearance. There's the irony of that key cornerstone in China's history w/in the context of the changes to now. I see the ending as Qiao choosing to refuse Bin, a symbol of that past time in her & the nation's history, and join the rush of those moving on to what the future holds. This is symbolised by her changing her outfit, including the glow sticks and her reveresed jackets, and the running crowd she blends into. As one viewer put it- 'It's a remarkably cohesive, even profound vessel for capturing what has most interested Zhangke as a filmmaker: the tidal wave-sized currents of technological progress and social transmutation that wash over a lifetime.' The others at the viewing I attended were also confused by the movie, finding it disjointed and hard to grasp as a cohesive piece. A lot of jumping to scenes that are seemingly too disparate from the framework story as Qiao looks for Bin amid the shifting Chinese cultural landscape. 3.3 stars (for now) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Caught by the Tides

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