AllMovie

The abuses of China's law enforcement system are examined in this documentary from filmmaker Zhao Liang. In Zui Yu Fa (aka Crime and Punishment, Liang and his camera follows two men who have been arrested by Chinese police officers -- a petty thief suspected of throwing away potential evidence as he was chased by cops, and a junkman who doesn't have a permit for some of the scrap metal he's picked up. Liang doesn't make a case for the innocence of either man, but follows the police officers as they berate and harass the suspects, often seeming to be more interested in heaping abuse on the men rather than determining their guilt or finding out what else they know. The film also offers a disquieting look at how few rights China's citizens have against the police (who can enter homes unannounced and without warrants) and the toll their behavior takes against both the lawmen and the alleged criminals they're supposed to put behind bars. Crime and Punishment was an official selection at the 2008 Buenos Aires Film Festival.