Filmed over three years, J.P. Sniadecki's The Iron Ministry is an intimate and naturalistic look at China, a country that is rapidly expanding both industrially and culturally. Taking place entirely on China's railways, The Iron Ministry is an observational study of the Chinese people, with the train being a microcosm of greater China as a whole. This is a film that does an excellent job at immersing the viewer into this world, capturing the anxieties and excitment of the Chinese people as they experience China's rapid transformation. The film is full of interesting ideas, touching on Chinese imperalism, the growing desire for democracy among its people, and social class struggles, but The Iron Ministry only scratches the surface, never willing to dig deep enough into any of these issues. The social class aspect of the film is the most compelling, with the train serving as a metaphor for the growing divide. Caputring the great class disaparity as it pertains to the conditions on the train, The Iron Ministry showcases this divide in a visual way. Given the film was shot over the course of three years, The Iron Ministry doesn't provide much visual reference to this rapidly changing environment, relying far too heavily on the conversations of the trains passengers to supply the commentary. Fascinating at times, The Iron Ministry is an observational study of the chinese people, documenting their lives as they adjust to a changing China.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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