Only the River Flows

Flicks with The Film Snob

Nov 26 2025 | 00:03:30

00:00 / 00:03:30

Show Notes

“Self-aware cinema” is a nickname, that I just made up, to describe a kind of film that uses its style, genre, and characters to symbolize meanings that go beyond and even subvert the movie’s linear narrative. Well, that definition proves how hard it is to speak clearly about this kind of film. The idea isn’t new, but now it’s become sharper and more prevalent. An interesting recent example is Only the River Flows, from Chinese director Wei Shujun. The story takes place in a rural area of China, where the camera shows us, from behind, an old woman tending geese…

Other Episodes

Episode

May 02, 2018 • 4:02

Sweet Country

Written and directed by native Australians, a new film provides a glimpse into the painful history of Australia’s brutal treatment of its original native...

Episode 0

September 18, 2024 • 00:03:17

Blue Jean

In 1988, a British high school teacher faces the threat of being outed as a lesbian. When considering the progress of gay rights, it’s...

Episode 0

January 27, 2021 • 00:03:31

The Fire Within

An alcoholic contemplates suicide in Louis Malle’s devastating 1963 film about the human desire for meaning. Louis Malle was a director of astonishing range....