MovieChat Forums > Xiao shi de zi dan (2012) Discussion > what happend? spoiler alert

what happend? spoiler alert

posted 12 years ago by rufus61
8 replies | jump to latest

Can someone explain to me, spoilers and all, what was going on? I wasn't able to follow it too closely because of badly timed semi-urgent text messages that needed attention (I was virtually alone in the theatre so no one was disturbed!)

In no specific order:

- did the factory owner's hired gun make the bone bullets and perform most of the "vanishing bullet" murders? if so for what purpose?

- what was the purpose of the sub-plot involving the wife in the "perfect crime" and her relationship with one of the protagonists?

- what was the relationship between the Nicholas Tse character and (1) the police chief? (2) the other police officer with whom he feuded? (3) the factory boss

- anyone know which part of China Ching Wan Lau's character came from? looks like western China somewhere.

- and if you still have energy, I missed parts of the original murder in the "sealed room" - what happened there?

thanks in advance.

[–] BelmontHeir 12 years ago

Honestly, I just watched a screener of the movie tonight, paying close attention to the story, and I still don't quite get the ending. It comes out of left field. The whole movie makes a lot of sense until Nicholas Tse's involvement is revealed. To try and answer your question:

1. I'm pretty sure the the vanishing bullet scheme was concocted by Nicholas Tse. The factory owner and police chief didn't want there to be any murders at the factory because (A.) it caused the workers to go on strike out of fear and (B.) it created a scandal in the town and made the police look bad. However, Nicolas must have known the police chief was making a shady business deal with the factory owner - he figured if he could out them both and solve the vanishing bullet murders, then he would be able to become police chief himself.

As Lau Ching Wan says - whoever has the most to gain, is the culprit. Nicholas Tse went from being just another detective to the chief of police.

2. That was just a subplot to help humanize Lau Ching Wan's character...she's just the love interest and she's a smart woman so she helps Lau Ching Wan piece together the ending. He didn't want to believe that Nic Tse was guilty but the woman urged him to face the truth.

3. Nicolas Tse wanted the police chief out of the way so he could replace him. He probably didn't think much of the factory chief either way. The 'other police officer' I think you're referring to was the factory owner's right hand man, who Nicholas Tse served in the military with. Nicolas Tse used his fortune telling lover to give that guy his assassination assignments - which he enacted with the bone bullets. But the guy didn't know Nicolas Tse was the one giving him the hits.

4. Not sure where Lau Ching Wan's character comes from.

5. The sealed room is what confused me. I think what happened is that - Lau Ching Wan and the other 2 guys heard the gunshot. Lau Ching Wan assumed that the gunshot was timed for their benefit, i.e. the murderer waited for them to be near by before he killed the victim so they would hear the gunshot. Lau Ching Wan wondered: how did the killer know they were going to be there? His deduction was that Nicholas told the murderer when to commit the crime.

That last part is the one I'm the most sketchy on. I hope this helps some.

[–] dmar9147 12 years ago

1. No.

2. It introduced the killer as Song Donglu's love interest.

3. He was out to prove they were all guilty.

4. I have no idea.

5. The killing took place earlier and the people in the corridor were induced to enter the room by the echo of the shot which sounded as though it came from inside.

[–] ashingtray 11 years ago

No.

Both of them got it wrong.

The fortune telling lover mastered-mind the whole thing.
I dunno how, but I know she did. Watch the ending again.

The moment of flashback right before Nicholas Tse dies.

The irony of this movie that not many people realized this,
the ultimate 'perfect crime'!

the sub-plot wasn't just a plot to humanized Lau Ching Wan,
it was to strengthen the premise 'the perfect crime.'

and even Lau Ching Wan's lover didn't specifically revealed
the details to help him solve the crime, she merely said
something very general to Lau Ching Wan.

or maybe Lau Ching Wan's lover also was fooled by the ultimate
master mind, Nicholas's fortune telling lover!

I could be wrong, since I barely understand China Mandarin
and bad subtitles.

Definitely will wanna watch it again in the cinema!

Brilliant script!

:)

[–] mtzgrz 11 years ago

This is a pretty interesting theory. I admit I hadn't considered it, but looking back through the movie, particularly the final scene, it definitely makes a lot of sense. I still don't know how plausible it is that Little Lark manipulated him in such a short amount of time; I keep watching the relevant parts over again and it seems like somethings missing in this thread. The first time were introduced to Guo Zhui and Little Lark he looks manic while watching all the activity on the streets, eating dirty bread, and happens to see her on her balcony. Have they met already? Did she plan her rescue? Their relationship is really so vague, and the time frame so short, that it's annoying if it really was her behind the revenge for Yan.

[–] wildfire160 11 years ago

I re-watched it just to be sure and i think your right about Little Lark being the real mastermind ...the flashback certainly seemed to point that way imo

[–] lathe-of-heaven 11 years ago

Fascinating idea; I certainly had not considered that at all.

The thing that adds the most weight to your idea is if the main theme indeed is 'The Perfect Crime'.

VERY subtle; nice catch...

I have over 4000 films, many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK!

[–] waldomarek 11 years ago

interesting theory indeed... the whole movie would make a lot more sense @ "perfect crime".

i wonder if we'll ever know the truth ourselves? :)

[–] xtruefinale 11 years ago

Interesting suggestion but I think it doesn't make sense. The girl Lark has no motive to kill anyone. She has nothing to gain and doesn't show any association to either the police force, or the gun factory owner.

The 2nd detective (mastermind) motive did however show 2 things. First he was fully aware of the murder committed by the factory boss on the little girl, secondly to thicken the plot and cause panic he had the assassin actually kill witnesses related to the factory boss's murder. Lastly he did not complain or made a case about it when factory's boss's fat supervisor deliberately choke one of the "fake" assassin to death.

But the plot does have flaws