Three no-use young man live in a very poor mining area of China. No work, no income, no future in the village. No rules apply to them. Sex is a thing they force upon the girls in the neighbourhood. When they seriously harm a schoolboy they flee, stealing money and cheating, even on each other.
Seems like not one actor in this movie was bothered by any talent for acting.... They can't play sleepy, play drunk nor play toughness.
The fat main actor is a few times replaced by a slim one (stealing money from his father and while visiting an aunt in the city), still recognizable by the plaster on his forehead and his leather jacket. Did he lose weigh? Did they think the viewer didn't notice?? This is a movie you only see out of curiosity of the Chinese cinema, not because it is any good. The Tiger Award won in Rotterdam can only be given as an encouragement for the Chinese film industry in general?