The World

Name: The World
Genre: Drama
Released: July 1, 2005
Duration: 143 min
Rating: 81

2005

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 23 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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The World

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Movie Details & Credits

Zeitgeist Films | Release Date: July 1, 2005

Summary: Acclaimed Chinese director Jia Zhangke casts a compassionate eye on the daily loves, friendships and desperate dreams of the twenty-somethings from China’s remote Provinces who come to live and work at Beijing’s World Park. (Zeitgeist Films)

Director: Zhang Ke Jia

Genre(s): Drama

Runtime: 143 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Sterritt

This is a brilliant, if challenging, film. Read full review

100

Jonathan Rosenbaum

The title of Jia Zhang-ke's 2004 masterpiece, The World -- a film that's hilarious and upsetting, epic and dystopian -- is an ironic pun and a metaphor. Read full review

100

Michael Wilmington

With rich irony, The World juxtaposes the teasing, grand images of the outside world's wonders with the insular community and the mundane lives of the park employees. Read full review

Dennis Lim

On a first viewing, the movie seemed a dilution of the formal strategies Jia had perfected-at once less dispassionate and less empathetic. After a repeat viewing, it still strikes me as Jia's fourth-best film (that it's one of the year's best says plenty about the level at which he's working), but it's more apparent that The Worl d's muffled emotional impact should be understood as a function of its setting. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

If a movie can be stark and rapturous at the same time, this is that movie. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The movie is long and slow. Either you will fall into its rhythm, or you will grow restless. Read full review

Stina Chyn

One of the oddest and surely the longest cinematic experiences you may ever encounter. Read full review

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User Reviews

ryancarroll88

Aug 26, 2010

Jia Zhangke's tale of an ensemble of characters working at a theme park in Beijing (supposedly meant to capture the entire world within its walls) is rife with symbolism and cultural significance, but it works best as a beautiful and arresting drama. Definitely one of the best films to comeJia Zhangke's tale of an ensemble of characters working at a theme park in Beijing (supposedly meant to capture the entire world within its walls) is rife with symbolism and cultural significance, but it works best as a beautiful and arresting drama. Definitely one of the best films to come out of China in the past 10 years by one of the most talented rising directors.… Expand

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ZivS

May 15, 2006

Behind the scenes look at the lives of 20-30 year olds in China all taking place inside a giant theme park. That was enough to get me to watch, and I'm glad I did.

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