INTRODUCTION

Jia Zhangke’s works have been widely studied within the context of the Sixth Generation in Chinese cinema thanks to his emphasis on globalisation and urbanisation in contemporary China as well as his preference for a realistic, unpolished style indebted to documentary aesthetics (Gateano 2009, Wagner 2013). However, Jia’s cinematic language has evolved in unexpected ways, particularly following the release of his 2013 film A Touch of Sin (Tian Zhu Ding). In this highly stylised crime drama, Jia openly experimented with genre elements, borrowing extensively from Hong Kong triad films while also paying homage to several classics within the wuxia tradition. This shift towards violent, formally ambitious crime stories continued with Jia’s two subsequent films, Mountains May Depart/Shan He Gu Ren (2015) and Ash is Purest White/ Jiang Hu Er Nü (2018).

In this study, I offer an alternative reading of Jia’s films from a genreoriented perspective, prioritising his growing interest in the conventions of the crime genre over the meditative, naturalistic cinematic language that characterised his early work. First, I trace the genealogy of references and intertextual elements that inform the three films listed above, identifying several sources of inspiration ranging from Johnnie To to King Hu. Second, I analyse the narrative structure of each film, exploring how Jia utilises multi-episodic storytelling strategies to combine crime film conventions with social commentary. Finally, I situate the films within the socioeconomic contexts surrounding their making, delving further into their status as transnational co-productions with financial involvement from French and Japanese partners (two influential national cinemas, each with a rich and distinctive tradition of crime films of their own). I argue that, despite their cultural and political specificity, Jia’s films have gradually attained a transnational character in terms of both thematic preoccupations and production processes, thanks to the injection of crime genre codes into the director’s oeuvre.

To simply state that Jia’s films have become increasingly transnational as his stature as an internationally celebrated auteur improved would be repeating the obvious. Jia’s films often bear clear markers of transnational production practices such as funding from a wide range of European and Asian financial institutions; the artistic collaboration of cinematographers, sound designers and other key crafts personnel from a variety of countries; and extensive play on the international film festival circuit, which consequently leads to global circulation in theatrical or ancillary settings.