What do you suppose makes a guy say, “you know what? I’m gonna bike to Tibet. No, no. I’ve thought about this. And what I really should do is take my bicycle, give it a tune-up, and ride it 1,000 miles over the highest mountains on the planet … during winter. No, you cannot stop me. I’ve made up my mind.” ? I think this is why most of us get married – Love? Affection? Companionship? Screw that. It’s so somebody sensible will say, “that’s stupid” when such an absurd idea gets into your head.
Based on a true story, One Mile Above is about a dude who decided his brother’s tragic and premature death needed to be avenged in the silliest form possible. And as he didn’t have access to a billion popsicle sticks, Shuhao (Bryan Chang) decided to ride a bicycle from Linjiang to Llasa, an 1,100 mile journey of the most desolate roads among the most desolate places in the unfree world. Gee, there’s something right there, huh? For a not-so-free country (China), this is a grand 
exhibition of freedom, no? One day, I will have that “what constitutes freedom?” discussion; this is not that day. Bottom line: Shuhao exhibited his lack of freedom by travelling through a mountain range by his own power without anybody saying, “Boo.”
And that’s actually what this film could have used, a villain. Shuhao fights ice and cliffs and sickness and wild dogs, but you never get the feeling this trek is anything but indulgent. Why does he do this? To honor his brother. Ok, fine. But why not host a bicycle race or build a shrine? Why undergo such a foolhardy and relatively meaningless quest? Shuhao turns down several offers for a ride in the film (“how far ya goin’, buddy? ‘Tibet.’ Hey, it’s on the way…”) and almost dies on several occasions. How exactly do these things show honor? At one moment, we see the overview of a downhill where the road snakes back and forth for kilometers on end. The corners are iced up; our hero stands a very good chance of injury here. What’s wrong with walking the bike down the hill? Heck, you’re not a car, you can even cut through the middle. Does that dishonor the brother? Is the journey not the same? I am confused.
The cinematography in One Mile Above is, from time-to-time, gorgeous. It freaking ought to be, of course. And the action tends to be just a man and his bicycle, the 22nd and silliest leg of the Tour de France. And in the grand tradition of the sport, Shuhao should have been blood doping. That’s the only way you’ll get me to Tibet.
♪I want to ride my bicycle
I will ride out of sight
I want to brave the wind and cold
And things that howl at night
You say “dawn” I say “light”
You say “yak” I say “bite”
You say “cliff” I say “hey, Chan”
(John) Woo is not my thing and I don’t like Bruce Lee♫
Not Rated, 90 Minutes
D: Jiayi Du
W: Jiayi Du
Genre: The quests of insane men
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Thor Heyerdahl
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The biographer’s mother
♪Parody inspired by “Bicycle Race”
