A Touch of Sin

2013 2h 11m ZH

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 397

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Four people in different provinces are driven to violent ends: An angry miner is enraged by corruption in his village. A migrant discovers the possibilities of owning a firearm. A receptionist is pushed beyond her limits by an abusive client. A young factory worker goes from one job to the next.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jiang Wu
Dahai
Wang Baoqiang
Zhou San
Zhao Tao
Xiao Yu
Li Meng
Lianrong
Zhang Jiayi
Zhang Youliang
Luo Lanshan
Xiao Hui
Wang Hongwei
Sauna Guest
Liu Lu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jia Zhangke
Writers: Jia Zhangke
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 4% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jia Zhangke, shot by Nelson Yu Lik-wai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lim Giong. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Matthieu Laclau shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jiang Wu and Wang Baoqiang and Zhao Tao carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jia Zhangke directs. Nelson Yu Lik-wai behind the camera. Lim Giong scores. Matthieu Laclau cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in China. Dialogue in Cantonese, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 4% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 13 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin.
5Directed by Jia Zhangke, shot by Nelson Yu Lik-wai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Lim Giong. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Matthieu Laclau shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jiang Wu and Wang Baoqiang and Zhao Tao carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt2852400 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "bureaucracy", "china", "based on true story", "alienation".