The trailer for Bi Gan’s “Resurrection” is now online. How can I even describe this film, which I saw at Cannes, without making a fool of myself? It’s the type of story that will isolate 90% of moviegoers, but the remaining 10%—those who keep up and remain attentive—might be enthralled.
This is the Chinese filmmaker’s third film, following the acclaimed “Kaili Blues” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” both of which left a real impression on me. Bi Gan shot and edited “Resurrection” simultaneously, just to submit it on time for this past May’s Cannes Film Festival.
Here’s a film that challenges conventional storytelling, daring audiences to follow a surreal, dreamlike journey. Unlike traditional narratives, the movie feels like being swept through a half-remembered dream, where finding meaning is secondary to experience. Bi Gan, known for his striking visual style, continues the approach he used in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”—a cinematic experience that is at times hypnotic and almost always disorienting.
The film opens with a visually stunning prologue, introducing a woman navigating a surreal dreamworld in pursuit of a mysterious fantasmer. From there, the narrative splinters into a series of episodes that vary in style and tone. Metaphysical ideas about dreams, mortality, and human existence abound, often remaining deliberately opaque. I have to admit, I wasn’t fully on board for the entire nearly three-hour runtime. Some stretches meander; others envelop. It’s a unique experience.
Segments range from a noir-influenced gangster tale about a war-ending suitcase (don’t ask) to sequences featuring spirits and apocalyptic romance. Some scenes captivate with visual daring, while others—like a gambling con artist involving an orphaned girl—feel more like cinematic homage than cohesive storytelling. Characters appear and vanish unpredictably, narrative threads fold back on themselves, and fantastical elements abound, including spirits in teeth and vampires in love.
Should I even recommend “Resurrection”? I certainly don’t regret seeing it, though I also have no desire to rewatch it. It’s less a story than a philosophical and visual meditation, asking viewers to fully surrender to its dream logic. Given how impenetrable some story strands are, that’s easier said than done.
Its 160-minute runtime tests patience, and audience reactions at Cannes were sharply divided. Yet the film underscores Bi Gan’s singular vision and technical mastery, and I certainly enjoy reading the reviews that attempt to describe its abstraction.
“Resurrection” opens in select theaters December 12.