A closer look at ‘Decoded’: A Chinese cinematic endeavor
A tale of ambition and patriotism
The work of British filmmaker Christopher Nolan often garners significant appreciation, and when compared to Chinese director Chen Sicheng’s ambitious yet somewhat saccharine film, Decoded, the contrast becomes even more pronounced. Adapted from the 2002 novel by Mai Jia, this film chronicles the life of Rong Jinzhen (Haoran Liu), a prodigious orphan who becomes a valuable government asset in the 1940s. His unique skills ultimately pave the way for China to establish its own nuclear weapons program.
While the magnitude of Jinzhen’s task and its global repercussions might draw comparisons to Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Decoded lacks the moral ambiguity that characterizes Nolan’s work. Instead, it is a state-supported effort where patriotism is exalted throughout, quite literally until its very last frame. The idealized concept of a sovereign country and the duty to defend it propels Jinzhen’s every move.
The making of a prodigy
From a young age, Jinzhen learns the art of dream interpretation from his enigmatic guardian. His genius combines this esoteric talent with an innate ability for complex mathematical thinking. Though he can make sense of mind-boggling equations à la A Beautiful Mind, he believes that the keys to solving ciphers reside in his dreams. Only by turning a light switch off can Jinzhen know if what he sees is an experience occurring while conscious or not, a device reminiscent of the spinning top in Nolan’s Inception.
A performance to remember
Haoran Liu’s performance leans heavily on the archetype of a super-intelligent, awkward person who has difficulty socializing and expressing emotion—a “nerd” in the way that Hollywood movies have often portrayed the academically gifted, with a face full of acne to boot. The actor fared far better in last year’s subdued drama The Breaking Ice from Singaporean director Anthony Chen, as a young professional struggling with mental illness.
Guidance from mentor Jan Liseiwicz (John Cusack), a Jewish professor teaching in China, maximizes the wunderkind’s potential. The two eventually turn rivals as each of their respective governments calls on them in the fight to intercept enemy plans. Cusack, competent but far from memorable here, is no stranger to Chinese cinema, having appeared in the historical epic Dragon Blade.
The geopolitical chess game
When Liseiwicz creates a “Purple Cypher,” a nearly impossible-to-crack device for the U.S. military, the geopolitical conflict intensifies as Jinzhen works tirelessly to solve it. Dense on-screen text ineffectively attempts to provide historical context about the U.S.-backed operations that Jinzhen frustrated in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as mainland China tightened its grip on these semi-autonomous states.
A polished yet hollow experience
Crowded with shallow characters, particularly Jinzhen’s loved ones—his wife and adoptive family—who are there to forcefully inject emotion, Decoded is overlong and technically pristine while devoid of cinematic personality. It’s pleasant to look at but difficult to feel much toward. There’s a polished artificiality to the entire affair, from its impeccable sets that seem closer to store displays than places where people live their lives, to a score that soars at the slightest provocation with the intent of tugging the viewer’s heartstrings. It all feels calculated to appease and never challenge the powers that be.
Dream sequences and digital effects
At first glance, the digital effects in the elaborate dream sequences—where we see Jinzhen in a dazzling amusement park or running from walls closing in on him—have an eye-popping effect. But soon one can discern an issue with the composition that renders the actor noticeably superimposed on digital scenes. The two elements look inorganically composited. Even if flawed, these colorful, larger-than-life passages do offer relief from the chronological biopic format of the film. As Jinzhen’s grip on reality loosens, his dreams become increasingly bizarre. Perhaps the most unexpected and bizarre image in Decoded comes as one of his visions materializes the fanged mammal referenced in The Beatles track I Am the Walrus, which the protagonist believes could hold a message from friend and foe Liseiwicz.
A film tailored for American sensibilities
Decoded plays as if conceived with the explicit desire to entice American sensibilities, but only as long as this doesn’t mean deviating too far from a manicured, uncritical depiction of China’s policies and war tactics. A quasi-inspirational story more than a thriller about a character who is designed to be a nearly irreproachable paragon of officially approved virtue, summons as much intrigue as a tedious chore.
For those interested in exploring the film further, you can watch the trailer for Decoded here.
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