“Stammering Ballad” has a very interesting central theme as its base, as it tells the story of Ga Song, a folk singer who actually stutters when he speaks, and a loner who travels all around China to give live performances, in his search for fame and money.
“Stammering Ballad” is screening at Chinese Visual Festival 2019
Zhang Nan (who is also in charge of the cinematography and the editing, along with Feng Xi) follows Ga Song across the country, in his visit to folk festivals, to small and large venues where he performs, to a talent show, to his grandparents' village, to the place where his parents live and a number of other locations. Through these travels, Zhang Nan sketches the profile of a truly individualistic man, through his relationship with his relatives and the members of the band he used to be a part of, and at the same time, highlights the beauties and the blights of the country.
Through this approach, Zhang Nan highlights Ga Song's longing for the past, which is highlighted from his music, that has him sing while playing an acoustic guitar or a three-stringed sanxian, and his nomadic tendencies, with the reason behind all these aspects of his character appearing, quite eloquently, during the end of the film.
What becomes evident is that Ga Song is a really charming fellow, with his smile, his round glasses, his impressive voice and kind demeanor, but with one significant fault: he is set on becoming famous and this path does not allow for anyone to have a permanent relationship with him, as he is eager to continue on his road without any regards for the ones left behind, perhaps with the exception of his grandparents.
Zhang Nan's camera is quite thorough in the presentation of Ga Song, as he has followed him quite closely in almost all the aspects of his life, as it also depicts images of extreme beauty, mostly in the rural areas of the country. In contrast, the scenes in the city highlight the ugliness of the scenery, in a tactic that extends to Ga Song, who seems to get no break when he finds himself in an urban setting. Eventually, this contrast, along with the fact that Ga Song cannot stay in the place he grew up for financial reasons but cannot stand the city, forms one of the basic axes of the film, as it also symbolizes the life of many Chinese who experience the same situation.
Probably the production's best asset is the sound recording, with Ga Song's voice being clearly heard in locations that range from huts, to bars and clubs, to the huge place where the talent show takes place, without any kind of loss in the quality. This aspect highlights his impressive voice, with his high notes being particularly enjoyable.
On the other hand, I felt that a tighter job on the editing department could have helped the entertaining aspect of the documentary, which, at 111 minutes, somewhat overextends its welcome.
“Stammering Ballad” definitely deserves a watch for its portrayal of a very charming man with issues that many will resonate with, while fans of folk/ethnic music will definitely enjoy the music.
