Reference
Review by Mary Albers
The movie begins with a somber, black-and-white landscape. Luo Yusheng is returning from the city to his childhood village to take care of the burial arrangements for his father. He is somewhat taken aback when his grief-stricken mother is adamant about having a traditional village burial for his father. The idea involves carrying the body by foot from its location at a hospital in another village to their village. The tradition honors the belief that a body returned this way will never forget the way home. Yusheng realizes that young men capable of such a feat are scares in the village; it is in the middle of winter; and the financial cost to hire the carriers would be considerable.
As Yusheng watches his mother weave the funeral cloth, he reflects on his parents' courtship. The movie itself changes to color, and the love story unfolds for the duration of the film. In an age and place when arranged marriages are the norm, the relationship between an eighteen-year-old peasant girl and a new village schoolteacher becomes a story of simple love and devotion that stands the test of time. The rural dirt road to/from the village becomes significant; in the end, Yusheng understands how important it is to respect his mother's wishes for the traditional "way home."
This movie was a simple, but quite convincing and endearing, love story. Both the acting and the cinematography were superb. I found it notable that throughout the entire movie there were no sensual or even kissing scenes, yet the essence of love was so powerful.
Recommended ages: all
