Redemption is at the heart of the Chinese drama Black Dog, set on the edge of the Gobi Desert just before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Former stunt motorcyclist Lang (Eddie Peng) is a loner, who has just been paroled, after being imprisoned for manslaughter.
He returns to his hometown, which has undergone quite a metamorphosis.
In fact, it is being systemically dismantled to make room for new development. Many residents have already left and the place looks like a ghost town.
A large population of stray dogs roams the street and the desert.
One, a black dog thought to have rabies, is causing all sorts of havoc, biting people.
There is a bounty of the dog’s head, which Lang initially goes for, but when he comes into contact with the animal, his view changes and the pair bonds.
Meanwhile, city officials have launched a drive to rid the streets of strays, which Lang is roped into.
He faces all sorts of issues, including the fact that snake farmer Butcher Hu is out to avenge his nephew’s death a decade ago, for which he holds Lang responsible.
Lang’s father has moved to what is left of the rundown zoo in town. A heavy drinker, his health is fast deteriorating.
The one new constant in Lang’s life is that black dog, who like Lang faces all sorts of scrapes, but keeps finding a way through.
Against an uneasy and challenging backdrop, co-writer and director Guan Hu has crafted a reflective piece about the changing face of China.
There is a harsh, grittiness to what unfolds. Survival is far from assured.
Hu is not afraid to introduce a series of surprises as the narrative develops, including the arrival of a travelling circus, a member of which takes a shine to Lang.
The landscape is barren and challenging.
Cinematographer Weizhe Gao has done a fine job in setting the scene, letting us know that it is a place that has fallen on hard times.
An air of mystery surrounds Eddie Peng in the lead role. As Lang, he is a man of few words, stoic and resilient, with his own code of morality.
His past comes back to haunt him and yet he must find a way to deal with it before he can move on.
There is something heroic in Peng’s representation of Lang.
The dog itself, like Lang, has an untamed spirit, which dictates proceedings. Both will not be tamed.
Black Dog is an intriguing portrait of a man and a city at the crossroads.
Rated M, it scores an 8 out of 10.
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