‘One Second’ Review: Zhang Yimou’s Censored Ode to the Power of Cinema Finally Sees the Light of Day

More than two years after the world premiere of Zhang Yimou’s “One Second” was canceled mere days before its scheduled gala screening at the Berlinale on account of a “technical problem” — the insultingly transparent wording of a censorship bureau grown smug about its power — the renowned Chinese filmmaker’s most intimate movie since the days of “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers” is finally here.

Or at least some version of it is, as specifics about whatever snips and reshoots have taken place since 2019 remain as vague as the Chinese government’s reason for interfering with the film in the first place.Rumor had it certain officials were convinced the movie was a lock to win the festival’s Golden Bear, and panicked at the international attention such a prize might attract to a story that reflects the poverty caused by the Cultural Revolution (albeit with only a small

Read full article