Suburban Birds

Suburban Birds, a 2018 Chinese drama, is a visually entrancing cinematic journey into urban development and memory, penned and directed by Qiu Sheng. With a complex narrative structure, the film weaves an intricate tapestry exploring the nature of existence, memory, and urban development's sweeping pace.

In the lead roles, the film features Yihao Chen, Zhihao Chen, and Jing Deng. Each of the characters breathes life into the screenplay, showcasing a myriad of emotions - from the joy of childhood to the myriad pressures and expectations of adulthood - with commendable authenticity.

The movie is admirable for its shimmering camerawork and its intricate plotting where reality and memory seem to entwine. On one hand, we follow the journey of Hao, played by Yihao Chen, a young engineer staking out a sprawling area of suburban real estate in preparation for the construction of a new infrastructure project. However, the entire project is put on hold due to a series of unexplained sinkholes appearing in the area.

On the other hand, we are transported to the past where we explore the same character Hao’s memories of his childhood. These scenes are filled with mystery, exploration, and a sense of wonder often associated with childhood. We follow a group of children, including a younger Hao, as they embark on a cryptic quest based on a tale about a "birdman," forging a nuanced tale of friendship, loss, and longing.

The two narratives seamlessly blend into each other, blurring the distinction between the objective and the subjective, the present and the past, reality and memory. This gentle oscillation between past and present is a critical element in the film, setting Suburban Birds apart while energetically exploring the dynamics of human relationships, growth, and urban transformation.

Qiu Sheng has successfully incorporated an intricate storytelling technique into Suburban Birds. The film is punctuated by naturist symbolism, effectively using fauna and rustling leaves, towering trees, misty beaches, and vacant streets to embody the narrative's psychological undertones. The tandem lines of reality and memory in Suburban Birds converge at a point, resulting in a climactic revelation that threads the pieces of the cryptic plot together.

The movie employs an almost meditative pacing, which allows the audience to soak in its lush aesthetics and carefully observe each character and their evolution. The cinematographic style of Suburban Birds also deserves special praise. The thriving landscapes and intricate indoors have been captured splendidly, vastly contributing to the film's contemplative mood.

Qiu Sheng’s exploration of the devolution of natural landscapes with urban expansion reflects a universally relevant issue. The portrayal of Homo Urbanus' expansions threatening the splendor of the natural world manifests itself in the film as the real estate project's engineers have to tackle unexpected sinkholes—nature's retaliation.

Suburban Birds' deeply metaphorical narrative, coupled with its breathtaking visual artistry, sets it apart as a thought-provoking piece of cinematic brilliance. The film explores themes related to urbanization and environmental damage and personal themes such as growing up, the nature of friendship, family dynamics, and loss.

Undeniably, Suburban Birds is a movie to be watched with an open mind and heart, encouraging the audience to ponder the essence of memory, childhood, existence, and the ways in which humankind manipulates its surroundings and landscapes. Furthermore, its disorderly narrative composition, although complex, provides the thoughtful viewer a rewarding experience that begs to be unraveled with each passing scene.

To sum it up, Suburban Birds reflects two different time periods in one's life using parallel narratives—childhood and adulthood—along with the changing physical landscapes, examining the effects of urban development on nature and the human spirit, packaged with a whimsical touch of mystery. This is a movie that invites contemplation, not just during its viewing but afterward as well – provoking thought and inviting a reevaluation of the inevitable passage of time and the impact of relentless urban growth on individual and collective memory.