This is a beautiful story of one family as they cope with the changing times in revolutionary China. Through their eyes, we get a glimpse of what life must have been like for an average person in those days.
The story begins with Fugui gambling away his family's home. Urbane and self-confident, he is quickly broken by the loss of his home and his father, who dies from shame. Having to leave his mother in the care of the new owner, he goes off with some puppets that have been loaned to him, making a living putting on shows around the countryside. He gets caught up in the revolution, helps the communist army, and eventually returns to find the wife and family he left behind.
Nearly the entire story takes place in the city where he lives, a small side street in particular - no more than an alley by western standards. Fugui's wife, Jiazhen, lovingly played by the great actress, Gong Li, has been given a job by the local committee hauling hot water to local families. Fugui settles in and begins entertaining the neighborhood with his puppet shows. They have a mute daughter, Fengxia, and a precocious son, Youging.
We see the family grow up and undergo changes, most of them tragic. Much of the action is tied to the political climate that evolves from the revolution through the period of the Red Guards (50's, 60's, early 70's). The son is killed by accident when a party official backs his jeep into a wall and crushes him. The father is told that his puppets are now considered counter-revolutionary, so he has to give up that pleasure. The daughter marries a kindly party official from a local factory, but dies in childbirth after the nursing students have expelled the doctors from the maternity ward for not being politically pure enough.
Through it all the family perseveres, not with any great histrionics, but with acceptance and love. The parents are simple people who just want what's best for their children, but because of the circumstances set in action by the communists, they lose their daughter and son.
This isn't an overly political film. The communist officials aren't depicted as evil, but neither are they particularly heroic. The local party leader is friendly and helpful to the family, as is the son-in-law. But apparently the depiction of the party in less than glowing terms during this period was offensive enough for the Chinese government to ban this film. Which is too bad because it's a tribute to the strength of the Chinese people and not a slam at communism per se.
This is a beautiful film with a haunting musical theme running through it. I highly recommend it.
The story begins with Fugui gambling away his family's home. Urbane and self-confident, he is quickly broken by the loss of his home and his father, who dies from shame. Having to leave his mother in the care of the new owner, he goes off with some puppets that have been loaned to him, making a living putting on shows around the countryside. He gets caught up in the revolution, helps the communist army, and eventually returns to find the wife and family he left behind.
Nearly the entire story takes place in the city where he lives, a small side street in particular - no more than an alley by western standards. Fugui's wife, Jiazhen, lovingly played by the great actress, Gong Li, has been given a job by the local committee hauling hot water to local families. Fugui settles in and begins entertaining the neighborhood with his puppet shows. They have a mute daughter, Fengxia, and a precocious son, Youging.
We see the family grow up and undergo changes, most of them tragic. Much of the action is tied to the political climate that evolves from the revolution through the period of the Red Guards (50's, 60's, early 70's). The son is killed by accident when a party official backs his jeep into a wall and crushes him. The father is told that his puppets are now considered counter-revolutionary, so he has to give up that pleasure. The daughter marries a kindly party official from a local factory, but dies in childbirth after the nursing students have expelled the doctors from the maternity ward for not being politically pure enough.
Through it all the family perseveres, not with any great histrionics, but with acceptance and love. The parents are simple people who just want what's best for their children, but because of the circumstances set in action by the communists, they lose their daughter and son.
This isn't an overly political film. The communist officials aren't depicted as evil, but neither are they particularly heroic. The local party leader is friendly and helpful to the family, as is the son-in-law. But apparently the depiction of the party in less than glowing terms during this period was offensive enough for the Chinese government to ban this film. Which is too bad because it's a tribute to the strength of the Chinese people and not a slam at communism per se.
This is a beautiful film with a haunting musical theme running through it. I highly recommend it.