Known primarily for the box office hit comedy series “Detective Chinatown” (2015), Chen Sicheng makes his first attempt at literary adaptation with the period drama “Decoded”, based on the novel of the same name by Mai Jia. His seventh feature premiered in June 2024 at the Weibo Awards Ceremony, and was released in Chinese theatres in August, grossing around 47 million USD. Abroad, the film was shown at the 45th Cairo International Film Festival, where Sicheng received the Golden Pyramid Honorary Award.
Decoded is screening in Far East FIlm Festival
Set against the backdrop of the war-torn China in the 1940s, the story follows an exceptionally gifted young man, Rong Jinzhen (Haoran Liu). When he attends university, his mathematical abilities catch the attention of Jan Liseiwicz (John Cusack), a visiting Polish professor, who encourages him to pursue studies in the field of artificial intelligence. Later, Rong becomes a highly regarded code-breaker for a covert intelligence agency.
The story is narrated from the perspectives of several characters who knew Rong, beginning with his cousin and concluding with his wife. This multi-voiced approach lends the movie the feel of a somewhat classic biopic, presenting the life of an extraordinary individual through the eyes of those around him. The main character fits the archetype of the stereotypical genius protagonist – brilliant in his field, but socially awkward, and consequently struggling with personal relationships. Despite initially appearing to be a biographical film, it is more of an example of a spy thriller, in which it is not the spies that are at the centre, but the duel of two geniuses, the master and the apprentice.
With the dynamic shooting style, extensive use of CGI and drone shots, Yu Cao creates a lively dramatic atmosphere. However, it is accompanied by an intrusive musical score that sometimes overwhelms the scenes rather than complementing them. With the visual and audio elements being pompous, the movie lacks subtlety, consequently reducing the tension that is key to pictures of this type.
Skillfully capturing the character’s inner turmoil and social awkwardness, Haoran Liu delivers an impressive performance as Rong Junzhen. The dialogue throughout the film is generally well-written, making the conversations between different characters enjoyable. However, there is a noticeable issue with language, primarily caused by the casting of American actor John Cusack, who does not speak Chinese. In several scenes, Cusack’s character speaks in English while local characters respond in Chinese, creating a jarring dynamic between them. This is particularly highlighted in a moment where Cusack yells at Chinese officials: “I thought I made my position clear” – a statement sounding absurd as the others don’t speak his language in the first place.
While the film has some interesting elements, like the fact that Rong uses dream interpretation very heavily in his work, it ultimately falls back into familiar patterns, resembling many other entries in the genre. Additionally, the movie is disadvantaged by the fact that it is not based on a true story, which diminishes the emotional weight and sense of authenticity often associated with biopics, from which “Decoded” seems to be inspired by.
