Jia Zhangke may be China's most important director, and A Touch of Sin illustrates exactly why. A Touch of Sin has 4 separate parts, each of which is based on a true event in China's recent history. Each of the four stories is equally compelling, depressing, and real. The segments are not necessarily blended into one seamless story where the characters interact with each other, but they never feel completely separate either.
Jia Zhangke is never afraid to show China in a poor light. While many films from China adhere to the norm of glorifying China, Jia Zhangke and the others in the "sixth generation" of Chinese directors shine a light specifically on the negative aspects; corruption, poverty, oppression, globalization. The negativity is never the primary focus, but it's constantly present. While the characters walk through town, th
ere are always decaying buildings, a polluted city in the background, a gaudy interior shot, all of which are simply shown in the background, never mentioned or drawn attention to. It's the subtly that makes it work.
A Touch of Sin may be Jia Zhangke's most accessible work, his others (The World, Still Life) are more minimalist and carefully paced, while A Touch of Sin is broken up into 4 segments, each of which have fairly shocking moments of violence to quicken the pace.
I would recommend Jia Zhangke for anyone interested in the independent side of Chinese film, as he's one of the best and most prolific. A Touch of Sin stands among the best of 2013.
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