"All Tomorrow's Parties" is an ambitious but impenetrable modern cyberpunk film. It is somewhat reminiscent of "Fahrenheit 451" and "Blade Runner," but it does not seem to be overtly aping any previous works. It was made by the celebrated Chinese director, Yu Lik Wai, who received some rave reviews for his previous features. Yu Like Wai is enamored with pop culture, and most of his films have names taken from English rock songs. His films "Unknown Pleasures" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" were named after songs by the late, great British rock group, Joy Division. "All Tomorrow's Parties" shares its title with a classic Velvet Underground song.

The film is set in post-apocalyptic China, in the year 2050. The Gui Dao regime has taken over the country, and they don't allow any room for nonconformity or individual thought. Two rebellious brothers are sent to a wasteland called Camp Prosperity so they can be brainwashed or "reeducated." When a wide scale rebellion occurs, the brothers finally learn what it means to be free. The Gui Dao may represent an oppressive totalitarian group and some critics see it as a stand-in for the Taliban in the Middle East or the Gui Dao faith (see http://www.religioustolerance.org/falungong.htm for more info).

The film also overtly attacks Chinese communism as a whole and Maoism in particular, so it's not surprising that The Chinese Film Bureau condemned the film. It is probably too abstract and muddled to upset American viewers. Some films work best in their native countries, and as I watched "All Tomorrow's Parties," I kept thinking that something must have been lost in the translation. The film is drab, dreary, and almost impossible to follow. But it's possible that someone better versed in Chinese culture would appreciate it more. The film does have some stunning, beautifully shot images.