Not One Less (1999)

Not One Less (1999)
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In a village in China mired in poverty, Gao (Gao Enman) is the lone teacher in a school so threadbare he must ration chalk to make sure he has enough for the day. The destitution of the village is not limited to the school; some of the children sleep in the schoolhouse because they have nowhere else to go, and many students have already dropped out to go to work to help feed their families. Gao is forced to leave town for a month, and no one in the village is able to take over for him except a 13-year-old girl, Wei Minzhi (Wei Minzhi), who possesses only the most rudimentary education herself. What she lacks in educational credential, she makes up for in determination -- she needs money, and teaching is an honest job that pays, and since she'll get a 10 yuan bonus if all 28 students are still attending when Gao gets back, she is determined that no one will drop out on her watch. So when one student turns up missing, and word has it he's been sent to the city by his mother to work, she travels to the city to look for him. In a place where thousands of children are working in the underground labor force or begging on the street, one boy hardly stands out from the crowd, and she has little luck. However, she's able to persuade a sympathetic TV station manager to let her make an announcement in hopes someone knows where he has gone. Despite its serious and often grim theme, Yi Ge Dou Bu Neng Shao is often light in tone and draws on the strength and humor of its characters; the film won the Golden Lion at the 1999 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Wei MinzhiZhang Huike, (more)
Director(s):
Zhang Yimou
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
G
Format(s):
DVD,  (View All Versions)
 

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Synopsis of Not One Less

In a village in China mired in poverty, Gao (Gao Enman) is the lone teacher in a school so threadbare he must ration chalk to make sure he has enough for the day. The destitution of the village is not limited to the school; some of the children sleep in the schoolhouse because they have nowhere else to go, and many students have already dropped out to go to work to help feed their families. Gao is forced to leave town for a month, and no one in the village is able to take over for him except a 13-year-old girl, Wei Minzhi (Wei Minzhi), who possesses only the most rudimentary education herself. What she lacks in educational credential, she makes up for in determination -- she needs money, and teaching is an honest job that pays, and since she'll get a 10 yuan bonus if all 28 students are still attending when Gao gets back, she is determined that no one will drop out on her watch. So when one student turns up missing, and word has it he's been sent to the city by his mother to work, she travels to the city to look for him. In a place where thousands of children are working in the underground labor force or begging on the street, one boy hardly stands out from the crowd, and she has little luck. However, she's able to persuade a sympathetic TV station manager to let her make an announcement in hopes someone knows where he has gone. Despite its serious and often grim theme, Yi Ge Dou Bu Neng Shao is often light in tone and draws on the strength and humor of its characters; the film won the Golden Lion at the 1999 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
106 mins

Complete Cast of Not One Less


Director(s):
Zhang Yimou
Writer(s):
Shi Xiangsheng
Producer(s):
Zhao Yunyun
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
G(Adult Situations, Adult Humor)
Categories:
Foreign
Not One Less Awards:
  • 1999 - Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion
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Member Reviews (19)

 
Bud and Miki F.

Taken from real events when a young teacher from rural China showed up in a major city seeking one of her students, this movie does a good job of portraying the rift between the culture and living conditions of rural vs. city dwellers in China. The acting was very good and the main characters generally sympathetic. I found small details of culture in this movie the most fascinating... how every request begins with a lie that that thing requested can not be provided and then moves into a negotiation where only the most tenacious win out, watching a class of children share a treat amongst themselves that would be taken for granted here, the abundance of food in the cities... and an interesting and well hidden warmth underlying some characters harshness. Overall, a moving and enjoyable movie.

Yes   |   No

 
Gregg H.

I was a little disappointed with this film, however it is still worth a watch. I thought that at times the sentimentality was a little heavy handed, but still a very effective film. It is amazing to see how difficult life in Rural China was at the time of the film, which was not that long ago. It is sad to see that something as simple as chalk actually is rationed at this rural school! If you want to see this director at his work at it's finest, rent Raise the Red Lantern, The Road Home, and of course Hero.

Yes   |   No

 
Dave T.

It is a perhaps a honest portrayal of life in a chinese rural area where a few necessities of life is hard to come by. The producer did not want to hide the blick future of growing up in a poor desolate village where the only hope for the children is a few years in school and than laborous hard work. The movie is filled with funny situations with the children left on their own demise to solve their problems. Very heart warming and funny!

Yes   |   No

 
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