Film Name: 醬園弄·懸案 / She’s Got No Name / She Has No Name
“She Has No Name” is one of the Chinese-language films I’m most looking forward to this year, mainly because I haven’t seen a film by director Peter Chan in years, and the film’s subject matter and cast are so intriguing that I can’t help but be curious.
However, the constant stream of reviews has dampened my high expectations… After watching the film, I found it quite peculiar: when analyzing individual elements such as acting, character development, sound and visuals, pacing, and production design, they are all well-executed, even quite good. Yet the core theme and narrative feel vague and forced.
Let’s discuss it step by step based on the impression mentioned above.
First, the main strength of “She Has No Name” is its strong “cinematic quality”—though these days, people don’t place much emphasis on that anymore, and many “amateur directors” can rise to prominence through other means. Overemphasizing “professionalism” can even seem outdated… but a film with good production values truly feels different.
Chen Kaige still has the foundation, he can arrange different timelines logically, handle key scenes and gory elements with excellent camera work and lighting, and depict the details of women’s predicaments with sufficient precision (for example, after Wang Xumei and the other female prisoners are executed, newcomers immediately step up to take charge and comfort everyone with the line, “Only literate women will die”). These elements make the film very enjoyable to watch.
Character development and performance are also standout strengths of “She Has No Name,” The film does not disappoint despite the presence of so many big-name stars (though this bloated cast also becomes a flaw). The ensemble cast offers numerous highlights: Zhang Ziyi lets loose as the protagonist in her portrayal of Zhan Zhou Shi, Yang Mi finds new possibilities in her portrayal of Wang Xumei, and Wang Chuanjun’s portrayal of Zhan Yunying’s madness solidifies his place as a villain…
To be honest, if we look at it purely from the perspective of the film’s theme and storyline, the ensemble scenes in “She Has No Name” are pretty weak. They’re messy and scattered, with issues in how the roles are distributed, so it’s no surprise there’s been talk of “star power disputes.” On the other hand, when viewed from the perspective of individual characters, their performances are quite enjoyable. For example, Yi Yangqianxi’s portrayal of the blind fortune-teller might seem comical from a casual perspective, but within the film’s context, it feels distinctly stylized, and I personally found it quite interesting.
In a way, the “chaotic” and “well-executed” aspects of “She Has No Name” are not mutually exclusive.
What follows are mostly criticisms… In my opinion, the film’s biggest issue is that it sets the backdrop against such a weighty historical era, yet the final narrative feels thin and superficial.
The story takes place in Shanghai under Japanese occupation in 1945, a time when it was clear the Japanese were on the verge of defeat and Shanghai was about to undergo a major transformation. At this time, a sensational murder and dismemberment case becomes both the focal point and the most trivial social event—the character best suited to view the plot from this angle is Xue Zhiwu, played by Lei Jiaxin. From the start, he doesn’t care about the truth of the case; he just wants to close it quickly and end the public outcry. His conflict with Zhan Zhouzhi mainly stems from his “authority” being severely challenged.
Unlike his fellow collaborators, who were all thinking about fleeing as soon as possible, Xue Zhiwu still harbored the fantasy that “no matter who takes power, it will be up to me to manage public order in Shanghai.” This also led to him becoming one of the few high-ranking officials of the puppet government to be arrested in the film.
The reason I find “She Has No Name” awkward is that it fails to distinguish between the main and secondary plotlines—the film spends a great deal of time depicting the changing political landscape, such as the anxiety of the collaborators and the mass executions of prisoners, yet the focus remains on “female awakening”… Those accustomed to focusing on the main contradictions will naturally find this odd (especially since we all know that even if “liberating women” is the goal, better versions of the answer will emerge in later years).
Of course, imperialism and feudalism are both mountains that must be overthrown, so there is nothing wrong with the film focusing on the plight and awakening of women. It can also combine the enemies to be resisted and overthrown into one (for example, the puppet court is just like Xue Zhiwu, only thinking about settling matters peacefully; the judge can sentence Zhan Zhou to death for a ship ticket). Counter-revolutionaries and feudal ethics both play the role of exploiters.
Unfortunately, “She Has No Name” fails to achieve the “critical insight through the small” it could have realized. Instead, the character Xi Lin (played by Zhao Liying), who best represents the creators’ attitude, delivers the most mechanical and stiff dialogue as the director’s mouthpiece—I’m not saying the words are wrong, but they are too slogan-like. Whether they work for the characters in the film is aside, but the audience outside the film certainly won’t find them appealing.
Another major issue with “She Has No Name” stems from its division into two parts: it places the truth and the conclusion in the second part, “She Has No Name 2,” leaving the first part, “She Has No Name,” as a superficial and evasive work.
The film’s thinness and pallor stem not only from its narrow perspective but also from the absence of truth. What the film presents around the “Zhan Zhou Shi Husband Murder and Dismemberment Case” are various stances, biases, and emotions, but it lacks facts. If the second part of the story could pick up quickly, it would be fine, but with such an abrupt ending, it is difficult to give “She Has No Name” a good review.
In terms of the completeness of each episode’s story, films like “Red Cliff” and “The Crossing,” which are also divided into two parts, handle their narratives better than the current “She Has No Name”…
Praise where praise is due, criticism where criticism is due. I will still go to see “She Has No Name 2” when it is released. Supporting actors like Fan Wei and Da Peng will have more screen time, and I believe the story will have a more grounded resolution by then.
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