Unusual comedy
《无人区》：冲破喜剧传统的贺岁片
When it comes to a Chinese holiday film that is directed by Ning Hao and stars Xu Zheng, 41, and Huang Bo, 39, it’s easy to expect another no-brainer comedy, much like the trio’s 2006 classic film Crazy Stone.
说到由导演宁浩、演员徐铮（41岁）和黄渤（39岁）这个“铁三角”搭配打造的贺岁片，人们很轻易就认为这又是一部类似2006年经典电影《疯狂的石头》那样的轻松喜剧。
So it comes as a surprise that their latest project, No Man’s Land (《无人区》) is nothing like what they’ve done before. In fact, there’s nothing comparable to it in the whole of Chinese cinema.
然而，他们的新作——《无人区》一经上映，便令人大跌眼镜，该片完全颠覆他们以往的影片。现实上，该片称得上是中国电影圈的“独一份儿”。
It’s a dark, Western-style thriller full of black humor and anti-authoritarian attitude — no wonder it was shelved for four years (it was first finished in June 2009) due to censorship issues (including too much negativity concerns such as that bad guys are depicted as heroes, and cops as impotent).
这是一部阴暗忧郁、布满西部风格的惊悚片，片中充斥着黑色幽默和反独裁主义——也正是因此，该片自2009年6月完成制作后由于检查问题被搁置4年之久（检查方担心片中大量诸如“反派英雄”、“无能警官”等元素造成消极影响）。
No Man’s Land tells the story of a lawyer named Pan Xiao (Xu Zheng), who drives to the deserts of China’s far west for a profitable case. On his way back, Pan is hunted down by a killer and encounters a variety of characters, including a police officer, a stripper and a group of smugglers.
在影片《无人区》中，律师潘肖（徐铮饰）为了一桩赚大钱的案子驾车来到中国边远西部的荒漠。返程途中，他被杀手追杀，并且遇到了包括警官、脱衣舞女、走私团伙在内的形形色色的人。
It’s a typical road movie and you can tell that Ning Hao gave his best to capture the essential elements of one. Beautiful desert scenery with long, empty roads and falcons flying above provide an authentic yetcreepy background to what happens in the story.
这是一部典型的公路电影，宁浩全力以赴地去捕获公路片的精髓。幸福的大漠风光、荒无人烟、没有尽头的公路以及天空中盘旋的秃鹰，都为情节发展营造出一种真实却令人毛骨悚然的氛围。
Ning’s storytelling skills keep you on edge throughout most of the two hours, although at times the story is so elaborate that you can’t help but wonder how it will wrap up.
宁浩精湛的叙事功力让你几乎2小时一直保持高度集中、紧张地观影状态。而有时因为情节太过精密复杂了，你以至禁不住纳闷影片最后要如何收尾。
At the core of every road movie, however, is change and growth. That’s Xu Zheng’s role and clearly he’s done a great job. Despite appearances by co-star Huang Bo and Tao Hong, No Man’s Land is Xu’s one-man film. Everything happens, quite literally, in a no man’s land, and Xu transforms from an ambitious,mercenary lawyer into a righteous man who gradually learns to care. He realizes that a man’s worth is the most valuable thing in life.
所有公路影片的核心都是变化与成长。这正是徐铮所饰演的人物的任务，显然他演得相当精彩。除去黄渤和陶虹的戏份不论，《无人区》便是徐铮的独角戏。正如片名所示，所有故事都发生在无人区，而徐铮从一个野心勃勃、唯利是图的律师变成了一个慢慢学会关怀的正义之士。他认识到一个人的价值才是生命中最可贵的东西。
No Man’s Land reminds me of the 2007 Oscar-winning film No Country for Old Men, both in terms of its style and the story. But besides combining American westerns and modern black comedies, No Man’s Land smartly adds some Chinese mythology, making it one of a kind.
无论是影片风格还是剧情，《无人区》都让我想起了2007年奥斯卡获奖影片《老无所依》。而《无人区》不仅将美国西部片和现代黑色喜剧结合起来，更是巧妙地加入了中国神话色彩，使其独树一帜。
Looking back at China’s holiday season cinema of the past few years, No Man’s Land is undoubtedly of the experimental kind. It’s a fresh breeze in a season that’s usually dominated by more cliched comedies.
回顾近年来的国内假期档电影，《无人区》无疑具备实验精神。在被清一色的传统喜剧片攻占的假期档，该片为观众带来了一丝新意。
