Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Balzac and the Little Seamstress
The highly acclaimed 2002 film Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is based on Dai Sijie’s semi-autobiographical novel of 2000 originally published in French under the title Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise. Given its more mature content (a love scene and an abortion scene), it is most suited for an upper-level high school class. Students of Chinese, French, history, political science, gender studies, sociology, and psychology would benefit from seeing this beautifully directed film narrated in Chinese with English subtitles.
The story of Luo and Ma, two young men in their late teens/early twenties, unfolds in a remote and mountainous region of China where the two of them have been sent to be “re-educated”. Luo, the son of a dentist, and Ma, the son of a doctor, come from intellectual families who are perceived as threats to the communist regime of Chairman Mao. Their transition to a primitive village located in the Phoenix Mountains of the Tianquan district of China is an arduous one as they are forced to endure harsh living conditions and grueling work in both the copper mines and fields while under the watchful “revolutionary” eye of the peasants tasked with “re-educating” them. The stark contrast between their previous lives and what turns out to be a 3-year period of exile is both dramatic and emotionally provoking. Fortunately, Luo and Ma have each other and a few souvenirs of home – most notably an alarm clock and a violin - neither of which has been seen before in the village despite the year being 1971. Having successfully persuaded the local chief that these items were meant to honor Mao, the young “reactionaries” continue a secret campaign to promote, ever so subtlety, the subversive and forbidden worlds of classical music, literature, and modern culture. The background music throughout the movie, described as “Mozart is thinking of Chairman Mao”, is the perfect accompaniment to Luo’s and Ma’s efforts to introduce culture to their rural neighbors in the most unexpected ways.
The love story that develops early in the film revolves around the feelings that both Luo and Ma share for a beautiful peasant girl who is the granddaughter of a tailor from a neighboring village located beyond “the Eye in the Sky”. Simply referred to as the little seamstress throughout the film, this innocent yet curious teenage girl fuels a new “raison d’être” in Luo and Ma as both fall in love with her in different ways. She becomes their ingénue as well as their willing accomplice, and the three of them embark on a secret adventure to embrace life, freedom, and love while reading some of the world’s greatest literary classics - books they successfully seize form a hidden suitcase belonging to “Four Eyes”, a fellow reactionary youth who has distinguished himself as the “poster boy” of local re-education efforts. Although Luo and Ma are sustained by the thoughts and words of all of the novelists, especially the French writers, the little seamstress is actually transformed by them and one in particular: Balzac. Even the peasants in the area are influenced by the forbidden books thanks to the creative storytelling efforts of Luo and Ma. But most compelling is the impact of the books and of the two young men on the life of the little seamstress. The flash forward at the end brings all of the woven themes of the film full circle. The coming of age story is complete – an intimate story of friendship, first love, self-awareness, discovery, and the fight for freedom of expression – and the setting of a modern, Communist China, firmly established.

Review by: Anne Kamstra Keeler, Adult ESL Teacher, Beginnings Calvary Episcopal Church
Age Level: High School Students and Adults
This movie is based on the book of the same name with the direction and screenwriting by the author himself (which I didn't find out until after I was done with both). Although I found the book much more engaging, the movie added to my understanding with its breathtaking scenery and depiction of 1970's rural China; as a Westerner who has not been to China, it was hard for me to visualize them. I think this could be used well in tandem with the book in a literature or history class, especially if the class emphasized China or East Asia. It does have sexual scenes and an abortion scene, so you will have to judge its use for your students. See my review of the book also.

After reading "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress," I just had to watch the movie. The novel was so quick and wonderfully written, I couldn't resist.
As an English teacher, I tend to enjoy novels more than movies and this was no different. However, the director did a great job adapting the novel to film. Aside from minor differences (the role of certain characters and events), the movie follows the book rather nicely.
I would use this movie along with the novel in my World Literature course at Central Catholic. I always stress that it is important to use visual work along side the written and with a movie that has been expertly adapted, it will be a nice segway to discuss the importance of seeing as well as reading.
Subtitles may make it difficult for some students to follow the movie and dialogue. Pausing the movie after certain chapters may help fix this. Reading the book and watching the movie after or after certain sections have been aside will also remedy that.