This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Fantastic!

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Not One Less (1999): Dir: Zhang Yimou / Cast: Wei Minzhi, Gao Enman, Zhang Huike, Tian Zhenda, Sun Zhimei: Sweet foreign film that relates to the Biblical parable of the lost sheep by emphasizing the importance of a single human life. Set in a poverty stricken village where a teacher leaves town for a month leaving the children in the care of thirteen year old Wei Minzhi. She accepts the task but realizes its challenge too late when a particular misbehaving kid is pulled out of school for employment purposes Wei decides to track him down. One aspect that doesn't work is her using the kids to assist in raising money. Directed with great passion by Zhang Yimou who previously made the acclaim Raise the Red Lantern and the poorly received Shanghai Triad. Minzhi does a wonderful job displaying her frustration yet care as she struggles to do the task asked of her right down to finding one kid. Gao Enman plays the understanding teacher seen briefly but the role is pivotal. Zhang Huike plays the kid gone missing who will learn that growing up too fast is harmful, and that others do care. Tian Zhenda plays the Mayor. Sun Zhimei plays a middle school student who assist in the search in the confusing city streets. Well crafted film with great location shots. It is a touching film about taking time to care and risking much for the better of another. Score: 9 / 10

Long after De Sica made "Bicycle thief" and Fellini his "La Strada," neo-realist traditions grab me like no other in cinema history. The Chinese film "Not one less" made half a century after the Italian masterpieces, underlines several aspects of neo-realist traditions—non-actors can transform into great actors provided you have an intelligent script and a talented director, poverty attracts anyone with a conscience, the candid camera is a marvelous tool, and human values exist to be appreciated irrespective of national boundaries. It truly deserved the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival.A reluctant substitute teacher taking on a job that would fetch a doubtful "50 yuan" from a village mayor with questionable priorities transforms into a national hero in less than a month as she strives hard to ensure the number of her students do not dwindle until the regular teacher returns. Her resolutions transforms the economic state of the school, makes her students into socially responsible "young adults" and teaches a lesson to the wily mayor, a gatekeeper in the city TV station who goes by rules rather than by her discretion.The brilliance of the film is that the film hooks the audience as a thriller would until the film ends. Yet there is no sex, no violence, no beautiful face, no delightful music or engaging camera angles—only reactions caught by candid camera (at least most of the time).The most poignant comment was the young student's comment "I loved the city but it made me beg for food" For a contemporary Chinese film made under tight censorship—the film's director Yimou Zhang seems to offer layers of comment beyond the obvious story line. Did Teacher Wei do what she did for the sake of money or as a responsible teacher? Are you likely to forget propagandist songs but recall simple songs on family values? Are individual greatness (teacher Wei) more appreciated than group actions (school as a group, nation's need for good athletes overriding permission of the parents of potential athletes)? Is the richness of rural lifestyles discounted by rising urban materialism? Does it require an individual's actions to underline the demands of the rural poor? These are hidden questions for each viewer to answer.I have only seen one other film of director Yimou Zhang and that is "Red Sorghum". "Not one less" towers over "Red Sorghum" in every department of film-making.I saw this Chinese film on an Indian TV channel. I only wish more such international films get shown widely on TV throughout the world. It would raise the bar of what constitutes good cinema to many who currently have little idea of good cinema except those made in their own countries. Recent mainland Chinese films like "Peacock" and "Not one less" have established their world class credentials.P.S. I was more than amused to find Ford and Coca-Cola financed the film in part, which is probably why the school kids in a remote Chinese village know about Coke and relish rationed drops of the liquid. Who was pulling whose leg here???

An excellent movie. Hats off to the director Yimou Zhang for getting wonderful performances from non professional actors. The way a burning social problem, effects of poverty on the education system and poor children, is interestingly woven into a story and captivating plot structure. The substitute village teacher, Minzhi Wei, a 13 years old girl, wants to buy a round trip to the city by bus from her workplace to fetch a missing student and does not have money. She succeeds in convincing the whole class to do labour,carrying bricks, to mobilize money. The ensuing mathematical calculations in the class and on the black board add to the school goings on while touching the emotional chords of the audience. The teacher's struggle in the city to trace out the student, her stubborn 'never say quit' attitude form part of the later half of the film that ends on a positive note by bringing the problem of education into focus. The contrast in the village and urban life styles is well brought out. some scenes that impressed me strongly are: the teacher running after the van carrying a student. argument by the teacher and students with the brick kiln owner. teacher's walk to the city. the writing of posters by the teacher and the posters being swept away while the teacher is asleep. the innocent enquiries of the teacher at the TV Station entrance. the broadcast talk of the teacher addressed to the student. the joy of the students when they get lots of colorful chalk.a must watch for all the socially aware citizens of the world.

*** May contain spoilers. *** However implausible the story, the acting in NOT ONE LESS is fresh and natural. I give all of the cast a great amount of credit because all of them -- the very young, and the very old -- go through their scenes without being distracted by, or playing to, the camera. The sincere earnest acting makes the film worth the watch.That being said, the screenplay of this film makes no sense. What motivated this substitute teacher to be so extraordinarily determined? It made no sense for her to be motivated by money because no 13 year-old could be so repeatedly fooled by the same adults. Also, as things went on it was clear that more money could be gained from working the kids in the brickyard than what might ever come from what both old men combined had promised.Two students leave her class. It made no sense for her to be so extraordinarily determined to return the big brat and not try to return the nice helpful girl student. Her 30 days of teaching would have been so much better without the trouble-making brat.And leaving the classroom alone for days -- what would make her think that she would be allowed to continue as a teacher when she returned? The substitute's actions were without thought and rational planning. At almost every turn, the viewer watching this film is left thinking that no one could be so dumb yet confident. In real life, people are cautious in matters where they are ignorant.Most of the detailed reviews here are far more rational and logical than the plot of this film.