X
- 2021
- Not Rated
- Paramount+
- 1 h 37 m
- 2021
- Not Rated
- Paramount+
- 1 h 37 m
Summary Ascension explores the pursuit of the "Chinese Dream." This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.
Directed By: Jessica Kingdon
- 2021
- Not Rated
- Paramount+
- 1 h 37 m
- 2021
- Not Rated
- Paramount+
- 1 h 37 m
Ascension
84
6.2
Where to Watch
Summary Ascension explores the pursuit of the "Chinese Dream." This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.
Directed By: Jessica Kingdon
Where to Watch
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
84
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
84
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of her project, and it’s Kingdon’s work as editor that makes Ascension such a remarkable achievement. She organizes all these disparate scenes into a logical upward progression, and even though we seldom know where we are or who exactly we’re observing, these foreign situations are relatable, engaging and often unforgettable.
Stylistically, Ascension borrows from the city-symphony genre at times, with long stretches passing without any dialogue as the camera whips past and through recycling depots, cell phone assembly lines, and poultry plants. There are no talking heads in the picture or any camera-facing reflections to guide the audience along a narrative, making it less cinéma vérité and more direct cinema in style. It is an effective approach.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 User Ratings
6.2
65% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
18% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
18% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 User Ratings
6.2
65% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
18% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
18% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
By far, the most interesting and educational film I've seen this year. The lack of narration and interviews makes it a much more immersive and less preachy experience than it could have been (though there were one or two stylistic choices that I felt were needlessly heavyhanded).
Visuals are gorgeous from start to finish, and it shows aspects of Chinese culture that I was completely unaware of prior to watching.
Report
Never appearing to judge any situation, Kingdon confidently allows the images to tell a fascinating, universal story of inequality and class division, revealing a country that feels more like a capitalist society than anyone’s idea of a Communist state.
Focusing her camera on the rising cogs in the machine of China’s insatiable consumer culture, Jessica Kingdon expands on her 2017 short “Commodity City” with the visually stunning feature Ascension.
Part of the film’s genius is in how the images are put together, sometimes to absurd effect, at other times unnervingly.
It empowers Chinese citizens while also shining a light on the exploitation and oppression they face in the workplace and job market.
This aestheticization of Chinese society doesn’t exactly sit well with this viewer: one wonders if this counts as a kind of tourism.
"The Chinese Miracle," with its astounding economic growth in a relatively short time, has inspired awe around the globe, and the nation's zealous adherence to "the Chinese Dream" has contributed significantly to that outcome. Similar in nature to the American Dream, the Chinese version is driven by a belief in hard work and dedicated diligence as a pathway to affluence. But, as director Jessica Kingdon's excellent new documentary effectively shows, is that dream attainable or illusory? The film clearly depicts China's relentless drive for perfection and success in all endeavors, showing how supposed opportunities for advancement are available at virtually all levels of the economy. However, do those opportunities genuinely translate into hoped-for outcomes, or are they merely ploys to squeeze out peak performance from naive underclass workers who believe the promise and are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead? Meanwhile, the film also illustrates the opulent degree of privilege that comes with wealth, but is this something that everyone can realistically share in, despite assurances to the contrary? The picture's inventive cinematography, frequently backed only by the movie's engaging score and minimal dialogue, an approach reminiscent of prior visually focused documentary works like "Koyaanisqatsi" (1982) and "Samsara" (2011), shows more than tells in conveying these themes, immersing viewers in imagery designed to profoundly conveying these intents. For all these strengths, though, the narrative tends to stray somewhat at times, especially toward the film's end, but that's easily overlooked in the picture's overall context. What's perhaps most significant, however, are the parallels between what's transpired in China and what appears to be unfolding here in the US as it begins modeling itself more after its overseas competitor as a means to keep pace. And that should be a caution to all of us before we fall prey to illusory notions ourselves.
Report
'Ascension' puts us into the middle of the Chinese dream, an aspiration that, of course, is all about success. Director Jessica Kingdon employs zero narration and lets the images speak for themselves. Throughout the film, she explores the life, dreams, and frustrations of workers and rich people in modern China. It's very interesting to see how wealth isn't the true objective of the Chinese, but being recognized as the one who pulled it off. That's what we see during the influencer workshops scenes, where hundreds of people desperate to build a fan base are taught to sell any kind of product — and it's very shocking to remember how much trash are we capable of producing.
There's a voyeuristic sense in 'Ascension' that allows Kingdon to make no judgment of this way of life — not that different from the western one when you think about it —, but there are moments where a little context would've helped expand on the general idea of the documentary.
Nevertheless, this is a somewhat successful experiment that immerses you in a complex society and its crushing but effective work culture.
Report
Production Company
Mouth Numbing Spicy Crab,
XTR
Release Date Oct 8, 2021
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
• 6 Nominations
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 3 Wins & 5 Nominations