In director Gao Peng’s feature debut, “A Long Shot,” the gun introduced in the first act remains unused until the finale. Instead, the film focuses on the rampant corruption and crime taking place in China’s northeastern industrial wasteland, specifically at the Fenglin Ferroalloy Factory. The factory, a rust-covered facility that employs over 8,000 people, is facing a major crisis with unpaid wages and a wave of robberies. Gu Xuebing, a former sharpshooter turned security guard, takes it upon himself to protect the factory against the constant threats.
Gu serves under Chief Tian along with a group of other guards, forming an ersatz police force in a place that seems to operate by its own rules. Suspects are often beaten and rarely transferred to the regular police. The guards have access to guns, but they are only used in emergencies. Gu, however, secretly makes his own handcrafted gun at his dingy apartment, hoping to keep practicing the sport that made him a minor celebrity. He is a loner, keeping to himself at work and having a distant relationship with his neighbor, Jin Yujia, and her teenage son, Geng Xiaojun.
The plot of “A Long Shot” kicks in when Gu catches Geng attempting to steal scrap metal from the factory. Instead of turning him in, Gu decides to mentor him and tries to keep him on the right path. However, the lure of crime is ever-present, coming from both the impoverished workers and the gangsters in the area. Eventually, it is revealed that some of the factory’s own managers are involved in the corruption, leading to a heist story in the film’s second half.
The screenplay, credited to four writers including director Gao Peng, depicts a crumbling industrial world filled with theft and misery. It showcases the dire straits of China’s industrial sector in the 1990s, with privatization and bankruptcy of state-owned companies. The film alludes to both the economic slump of that time and the authoritarian system where responsible working men like Gu often find themselves crushed by those in power.
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The climax of the film involves a bloody shootout during the factory’s 40th-anniversary celebration. Peng handles these closing scenes vividly, with bursts of gunfire obscured by the constant explosion of firecrackers. Gu’s homemade pistol finally comes into play, providing a solid ending to the film.
While the plot of “A Long Shot” may be somewhat opaque and the drama languid at times, the film’s setting is what truly stands out. The Fenglin facility, captured beautifully by cinematographer Florian Zinke, resembles a small city after a dystopian catastrophe. The visual palette of the film is dominated by shades of gray and brown, emphasizing the dreariness and decay of the industrial wasteland. The setting serves as a warning of what China once was and what it could become if corruption continues to prevail.
In conclusion, “A Long Shot” explores the themes of corruption, crime, and the struggle of working-class individuals in a decaying industrial landscape. While the gun introduced at the beginning takes a back seat to the larger narrative, the film’s solid performances and visually striking setting make it a memorable debut for director Gao Peng.
