Nezha, a rebel divinity from Chinese mythology portrayed as a combative but compassionate young man, has inspired many stories. The title of Tsai Ming-liang’s first film, Les Rebels of the Neon God, was originally Teenage Nezha. Here, the author-director Li Xiaofeng, inspired by an epistolary novel, has composed a splendid double portrait of a female Nezha that recounts the friendship between two schoolgirls in a small village in Anhui Province, half-way between urban and rural life, modernity and tradition. Sixteen-year-old Li Xiaolu makes a thunderous entry into the film, but also into the dreary life of Wang Xiaobing. The latter works well at school but is depressed by her parents’ separation. Holding the hypocrisy of adults in utmost contempt, she instantly recognises Xiaolu as a kindred spirit: a pure soul. As Xiaolu goes about everything with a conqueror’s determination and an unfailing sense of justice, she attracts not only the devotion of a classmate who is a martial arts fan, but also the rage of the teachers, who feel threatened by her unbridled freedom. The joy of crazy escapades, the melancholy of solitude: these alternating states glaringly highlight how successful the two friends are at building shared memories.
A.G.
