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ERMO (1995)
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Zhou Xiaowen directs Ermo with a simple message: do not underestimate the power of Capitalism. The film is set in modern-day China, where the cities have embraced capitalism and affluence with welcoming arms, but has yet to affect the daily lives of the rural countryside. Ermo (played superbly by Mongolian actress Alia) is a noodle-maker by day and night, and lives in a very modest house with her sickly husband and young son. She spends most of her time looking after her family, while making those twisted noodles for sale in the market. Ermo is sick and tired of her son always going to her neighbours to watch their television - literally a status symbol in rural China, as very few households could afford to buy one. So she decides to buy one for her son, one that is bigger than her neighbours. But because she doesn't yet have enough money, she has to travel to a nearby bigger town to sell her noodles for a better price. Her neighbour, Blindman, helps her to find a job making noodles for a restaurant, but he secretly fancies her, and even secretly gives her money, through her boss. Ermo becomes obsessive in her goal to buy the biggest television in town (a 29 inch model), so determined that she goes to donate blood to a local hospital for money. Even an affair with Blindman later on doesn't stop her desire to purchase the TV, and she soon stops seeing him (and resigning from her restaurant job) after she finds out that he has been giving her money. Ermo is a stubborn woman, but also a very proud one. She hates having people do her favours, and often don't like people treating her to meals. In her desire to buy this TV for her son, she fails to understand that the TV simply has no use for her and her family. Her husband realises this, and tries to persuade Ermo to do up their house instead, but Ermo is determined. In the end, when she finally buys it, she remarks that they have used one of her noodle-making items for an aerial, and that they could not put the TV anywhere in their small house except on their bed. "Where do we sleep then?", she mutters. As the rest of the village gathers in their house to watch this huge TV, Ermo becomes a forlorn figure, gazing foggily into the distance, most likely worn out by her incessant yearning for this wonderful technology. Now that she has it, she feels tired, useless, and goalless. And the TV remains pretty much useless for them. The film portrays the very difference between
the old and new, the prolific drive of China's rural citizens to modernise
and reform. Yet as we see in the film, this desire to embrace the new
contradicts with everything they know. They still live in traditional
style houses, and use very old technology, and their way of life practically
remains unchanged, and outside influences are few and far. But it is always
there, the message for them to change their ways, to adapt the new and
throw away the old. Yet for them, hard work in the fields still reap the
best rewards, not sitting all day watching TV. Here are people whose income
are pitiful at the least - they simply cannot afford to waste money on
such a 'luxury' as a TV, but because of rivalry, jealousy, and simply
symbols of status, means that for Ermo, getting a TV is paramount for
success, and saving face. "How much electricity would that use?"
remarks Ermo's husband. More than you know, mate. |
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RATING 7 / 10 |