“Across the Furious Sea” is a violent tale about a family tragedy starring Chinese veterans Huang Bo and Zhou Xun, while it is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Lao Huang. This film marks the last installment of director Cao’s acclaimed “Heartburn” crime thriller trilogy with “The Dead End” (2015) being the first and followed by “The Perfect Blue” in 2022.
Fisherman Jin Yun Shi is a dedicated father who runs a fleet of fishing boats and works hard to fund his daughter Jin Li Na who is studying in Japan. Upon hearing from his ex-wife that their daughter has disappeared, he promptly sets off to Kyoto to find her. As he learns more about her life, Li Miao Miao, her boyfriend seems to be the closest connection. While he tries to track him down, he receives the terrible news that his daughter Nana is dead, stabbed at least seventeen times.
Learning from the police that the prime murder suspect, Miao Miao, has in fact gone back to China, the vengeance-seeking Jin quickly follows. After a confrontation with his parents, Jing Lan, the boy’s mother, tells Jin to stop interfering and she will hand her son to the police but she needs three days to locate him. It turns out that she is actually protecting her dear son and plans to send him to Germany. Jin eventually finds out about her tricks and now it is a race against time for him to find the alleged killer first before he makes his escape.
Cao’s drama-thriller starts off like a straight revenge driven film about a father’s desperate search for his daughter’s killer. Then the exploration of family dynamics starts to surface as the viewers get to know more about the life of the daughter through flashbacks. Both the Jin and Li families share the same love and duty when it comes to protecting their children. Like many families, they probably don’t realize that their parenting practices are actually harmful to their children. Jin is so occupied with work that he has totally neglected Nana and has no idea of what she is up to. In contrast, Li is a mother who looks strong on the outside but unfortunately her tenderness and overprotectiveness of her son leads to tragic circumstances as the film progresses.
Besides the compelling acting, the sound design plays a big part in creating tension and atmosphere too. Two good examples are the sound of crashing waves in the opening sequence and the chaotic highway chase set during a tornado. In fact, a large portion of the film consists of Jin chasing Miao Miao from one location to another. However, the one which takes place in a cosplay convention full of colorful anime characters really stands out. Interestingly it ends up on the roof with a fight and a fun cameo by Doraemon, the famous blue cat.
Better known for his comedic roles, multi awards winner actor Huang Bo is believable as the vengeful father and fisherman Jin Yun Shi. His introduction tells us that he is impulsive but equally resourceful as he works his way protecting his fleet against the coast guards. While Huang is able to maintain the serious quality required through the film, he does show some of his funny side at times, like during his scenes at the university. Apparently, in order to get into his character, he visited a fishing village and partook in trips to get familiar with the equipment.
Huang’s co-star Zhao Xun plays the overly protective rich mother Li Jing Lan who will do anything to prevent her son from going to jail. She is in fact quite a dark character who uses her status to influence people, especially the police. Nonetheless, together with Huang, they are able to hold the film together with their performances. Zhang You Hao is quite creepy and weird as Li Miao Miao who is heavily into cosplay and anime. Surprisingly Zhou Yi Ran who plays Jin Li Na or Nana, the neglected daughter, has the most demanding role.
Ultimately, “Across the Furious Sea” is a complex and grim drama which deals with human nature and parenting. The story is both unpredictable and emotional though illogical at times. While relentless in its pacing, the whopping running time of two hours and a half can certainly do with a cut here and there.
