Director: Gao Qunshu Year: 2008 Rating: 6.5 Country:
China
Nearing retirement an elderly long time cop is affectionately called “Old
Fish” by everyone in town. He has a nagging wife and an underachieving son
in the army that he worries about, but what he loves is his time away from
them all ice fishing on the river near his city of Harbin. Recently, as the
town has begun to develop it has discovered many land mines and bombs left
behind by the Japanese and due to his experience in the war Old Fish is the
man they turn to to defuse them. He does so in a matter of fact way – in
one case simply putting the bomb on his bicycle basket and riding to the
river and tossing it on the ice where it explodes.
Things take a dangerous turn though when someone begins leaving bombs in
places that will kill people if they explode. Having no one trained in bomb
disposal skills and the nearest one in another city, the police supervisor
asks Old Fish if he can try. Not really feeling capable Old Fish initially
refuses but when there is no other alternative and the timer bomb is set
to explode in fifteen minutes he steps in to disable it. He feels great relief
until another bomb shows up, and then another and another and he realizes
that his luck will have to run out at some point. All of this plays out in
a very understated manner with moments of nervous humor intertwined. Old
Fish is in many ways a comical figure, but in truth a very heroic one. Though
quite enjoyable, the film refuses to ratchet up the drama and tension in
the way that we have come to expect – it very much stays at the same level
throughout simply showing Old Fish doing what has to be done. There is also
a taste of political convenience about the film where all the cops are gentle,
friendly and honest (a point is made several times that they always pay shop
owners what they may take from them to help dismantle the bombs) and all
citizens are treated with respect.
