A well-made story from Joan Chen in her first effort as writer/director, but my god, this is brutally depressing. As a trigger warning and general PSA, beware, the story has a teenage girl raped by a string of men who all take advantage of her having been sent out to live with a horse herder as part of the "Down to the Countryside Movement" of Mao's Cultural Revolution. The horse herder is the only one who doesn't force himself on her, perhaps tellingly because he's a eunuch, but he is unable or unwilling to stop the men from coming. She's only supposed to be living with him for six months, but her reprieve never comes, likely because those who can grant it enjoy having her at their disposal.
The film is a searing indictment of the idiocy of the Cultural Revolution, the corruption and violence that flourished under Mao's implementation of communism, and of the tendency for men to sexually assault women who they have power over. The on location cinematography in Tibet is beautiful, and both the girl (Li Xiaolu) and the horseman (Lopsang) turn in heartfelt performances. Joan Chen tells the story well too, with economy and honesty. I loved all of those aspects, and yet it's just so damn dark that I couldn't truly love the film. Definitely brace yourself before watching it.
The film is a searing indictment of the idiocy of the Cultural Revolution, the corruption and violence that flourished under Mao's implementation of communism, and of the tendency for men to sexually assault women who they have power over. The on location cinematography in Tibet is beautiful, and both the girl (Li Xiaolu) and the horseman (Lopsang) turn in heartfelt performances. Joan Chen tells the story well too, with economy and honesty. I loved all of those aspects, and yet it's just so damn dark that I couldn't truly love the film. Definitely brace yourself before watching it.