Despite starting with a high score of 8.0 on Douban, the film "816" has faced dismal box office performance in China: it only garnered 460,000 at previews and its premiere. Since last week, its screening numbers have been in decline, and reaching a box office total of one million seems difficult.
"816" Poster
It must be said that the title "816" has somewhat hindered the film's promotion. For a passerby unfamiliar with it, the title provides no effective information about the movie, and they may overlook this gem among a multitude of new releases—truly a pity.
"816" refers to the pediatric cancer ward in the film. Director Wei Desheng chose 816 as the ward number because it resembles the word "BIG." Wei hopes to use "BIG" to express the resilience and vitality displayed by children facing cancer.
The origin of "816" dates back to 2021, during the spread of the pandemic. At that time, Wei had a three-part filming project planned for years, but due to the pandemic, he had to set it aside, leaving him in a pretty miserable emotional state. To distract himself from negative feelings, he began shooting "816."
The story is inspired by a cancer patient Wei had visited, whose words deeply moved him and stayed with him for decades: "I've been in the pediatric cancer ward for over a year, yet I've never seen a child who didn't want to live. Every child believes they can survive."
Wei found this statement profoundly powerful and wanted to expand it into a film. He aims to depict the overwhelming vitality of children fighting against cancer, countering the myriad negative thoughts people experienced during the pandemic. He also hopes this film encourages audiences to reflect on their lives: if the smallest and weakest lives are fighting so hard to exist, doesn’t that make us feel fortunate? The mainland version of the poster interprets BIG as "Being Is Gift," which, although not Wei’s original intent, aligns well with his purpose.
From leukemia, osteosarcoma to brain tumors, each child in the 816 ward faces their own challenges, yet they never abandon their hope for life. They are not helpless victims in the face of cancer, but rather warriors battling against death. Therefore, despite its heavy theme of mortality, the film consistently emphasizes the children’s vibrant life force.
Whether it’s racing in the corridor, dressing up like robots to play, wearing colorful wigs to practice street dancing, or confessing their love to someone they like… each child runs boldly in their way, living in the moment, and even death cannot catch up to their joyful steps.
"816" Trailer Screenshot
Watching these children makes one ponder: Adults may know more and understand more nuances, but perhaps children know better how to truly live.
Children possess a life force rooted in their very existence, which may gradually be forgotten as they grow up, replaced by various worries and dissatisfaction with life, losing sight of the fact that simply being alive is irreplaceably valuable. From these children, we are reminded of that energy and can reassess our own lives.
"816" Trailer Screenshot
To allow audiences to fully experience the children’s vibrancy, Wei Desheng incorporated many amusing designs. For instance, he selected a lot of upbeat pop music familiar to everyone, including Jay Chou’s “Cowboy is Busy” and Mayday’s “Love Is IN,” keeping the first half of the film cheerful and bringing audiences closer to the characters.
Regarding the original score, most of the music in the film has a sunny vibe; even the sad moments facing death are scored with melodies that feel more tranquil and comforting, akin to lullabies, as if the children aren’t leaving this world but merely drifting into a long sleep.
Another highlight of the film is the inclusion of numerous hand-drawn animations depicting the children’s struggle against cancer. If the live-action scenes depict the children’s optimism and hope, then the animated segments reflect their courage and determination. In the animation, children are no longer bedridden patients but valiant warriors battling against the blue giant (cancer cells), each adorned with unique costumes and weapons, looking quite heroic.
"816" Trailer Screenshot
Wei Desheng contemplated whether to shoot scenes of surgeries for the children but ultimately found them too gruesome and inconsistent with the film's tone. By using animation, the film retains the arduous and brutal reality of fighting cancer while ensuring that viewers (especially children) do not feel uncomfortable. It vividly conveys the concept of "fighting against illness," making it a fitting expression for the film's subject matter.
If the impression of the children in the film is one of vibrancy and courage, their parents convey equality and empathy. The film presents diverse social identities for the parents of the six groups of patients: single-parent families, older man-young woman couples, divorced couples, disabled individuals, foreign pastors, and company bosses… Yet in ward 816, these differences no longer matter; they share one common identity: relatives of patients.
I particularly enjoyed a scene in the film: Luo Heng, a child with a brain tumor, is being taken into the operating room. His father, a follower of the Earth Goddess, paints their faces to resemble the deity, praying for a successful surgery for Luo Heng. After Luo Heng enters the operating room, the pastoral couple from ward 816 also arrives at the door, praying together to God for Luo Heng’s safety.
"816" Trailer Screenshot
In a world rife with conflicts arising from differing beliefs, at least when it comes to children, people can still transcend differences in race, faith, and class to understand and support one another, bringing a glimmer of hope and comfort.
While the film is mostly filled with vibrancy and optimism, it doesn’t shy away from the occurrence of bad events, especially towards the end of the film, which is quite anti-climactic and may not align with many people’s expectations. Yet I feel that the director has taken a step forward in the theme of battling cancer; he doesn’t merely stop at encouraging optimism in the face of illness but elevates the discussion to life and death. After all, many issues cannot be solved simply through effort; life is unpredictable, and sometimes bad things happen without reason. Does that mean the efforts we made and the moments we shared were meaningless? I believe not.
"816" Trailer Screenshot
The film concludes with a poetically crafted scene: as a serene lullaby plays, the screen begins to reminisce about the births of the six children in ward 816. My personal reflection on this ending is that from the moment of birth, these children brought immense joy and happiness to their parents, and they have each lived earnestly in their own way. Thus, regardless of whether they ultimately conquer their illnesses, their time on this earth was not in vain.
During the Beijing Film Festival screening, Wei Desheng offered another interpretation of this segment: “I’ve noticed that people often joke about the deceased. Don’t you find that the moment suddenly becomes joyous? It feels as if they (the deceased) are still here, reflecting an energy that has always been present. This is my small arrangement. In this film, three lives depart, but simultaneously, nine lives are born. I don’t want people to focus solely on death; I want them to see the concept of rebirth.”
This statement made me think of the last two paragraphs from Shi Tiesheng's "I and the Earth Altar," and I’ll take it as the conclusion of this piece:
Yet the sun, in every moment, is both the setting sun and the rising sun. As it extinguishes while descending the mountain, gathering its sad twilight, it is simultaneously burning and climbing up the peak on the other side, scattering its brilliant morning glow. On that day, I too shall quietly descend the mountain, leaning on my cane.
One day, in some hollow of the mountain, a joyous child will undoubtedly come running, clutching his toys. Of course, that is not me. But is it not me? The universe eternally transmutes song and dance into the everlasting. One can hardly ignore what name this desire has in the human realm.
