Bitter Money

Bitter Money is a critically-acclaimed 2016 documentary by renowned Chinese filmmaker Wang Bing. Although actress Ling Ling does not feature in this non-fiction work - primarily because the film mainly portrays workers from real life - it is nonetheless a powerful narrative that captures the stark reality and aspirations of China's migrant workforce.

The film opens up in the back alleys of Huzhou, a city in Eastern China known as the country's 'Underwear Capital.' In cramped spaces and dilapidated houses, we encounter a harsh glimpse into the unglamorous living conditions of hundreds of thousands of laborers from rural China. These are people who have left their homes and families, seeking a better life in the hustle and bustle of the city, working tirelessly to sew and stitch the clothing that floods global markets.

Superbly recorded, Bitter Money unfolds over a span of three years, from 2013 to 2016, where Wang Bing pragmatically shows the daily life, work, and the desperate search for dignity and dreams among the migrant workers. By adopting a sympathetic yet unmodified perspective, the director successfully reveals the raw humanity of his subjects, avoiding any tokenistic representation.

The film portrays the undeniable chasm between the urban middle-class consumers and the rural manufacturers. It humanizes the anonymous faces that make the clothing consumed worldwide, illuminating harsh realities that are often unnoticed and unappreciated. The workers' aspirations, struggles, and desires come to the forefront, posing a stark commentary on the world's inequitable economic systems.

Bitter Money is textured with intimate conversations between workers about their livelihoods and futures. Each narrative interlaces with the others, forming an intricate and sobering portrait of modern China's labor market. The movie's power comes from its raw truthfulness, in its portrayal of life's rough edges, and in its ability to document everyday realities on an uncomfortably personal level.

The title itself, 'Bitter Money,' is a reflection of the many frustrations, dreams, disappointments, and small victories experienced by the workers. It denotes the scant earnings for their backbreaking work, the harsh life, the uncertainty of the future – a shared pain borne from their livelihood's bitter sweat.

Wang Bing employs his typical cinema verité style, capturing everyday actions in long, often static shots, creating a world so beautifully mundane. Through close observational filmmaking methods, he captures the essence of life in its most unfiltered, unprepared moments. While there are no formal dialogues, no rehearsed lines, the organic conversations and interactions magnify the relatability and poignancy of the moment.

Despite its run time – around 152 minutes – Bitter Money doesn't attempt overtly to politicize or sensationalize its subject. Instead, it advocates the audience's empathetic gaze towards these laborers' realities. Wang Bing's portrayal of migrant work experiences, family separations, and economic anxieties offers a heart-wrenching visual diary that anchors the audience to contemplate the inequity of human condition.

The cinematography is undisputedly powerful, marked with shots imbued with stark reality yet expressing a very restrained, observational aesthetic. The shots of cramped workspaces, shared communal living, moments of camaraderie, and fleeting instances of joy among the workers offer a profound visual to remember. The use of natural light and a handheld camera further enhances the film's raw feel, mirroring the essence of real life with unflinching honesty.

As Bitter Money navigates from individual to individual, each personal narrative contributes to a broader commentary on China's blistering modernization. It asks some pertinent questions – who bears the cost of this rapid development? Who are the invisible hands? And what does it mean to dream within such grueling circumstances?

To conclude, Bitter Money is a thought-provoking movie that offers a heart-wrenching portrait of the dynamics of modern-day labor exploitation and the lives of individuals ensnared in it. It isn't a film that looks for easy answers but encourages viewers to appreciate the untold struggles behind the country's rapid economic rise. This documentary serves as a manifest testament to Wang Bing's commitment as a filmmaker to bring to light the experiences of these overlooked populations.