In love with revolutionary hero Jin (Leslie Cheung) and desperate to find a way to keep him alive and safe, Qiuqiu (Mei Ting) risks everything to contact an American doctor, (Todd Babcock) and beg for the medicine he needs. But when the good doctor, Robert Payne, falls for the mysterious young woman, he catches the attention of the authorities in their search for Jin. As the manhunt closes in, and Payne realizes his desire to help this girl may have been the ruin of everything she fights for.
This was a pivotal film in the history of Chinese cinema. It is the first widely released mainland Chinese film developed with Western screenwriters (there are more than one credited Western writer on the film). It's the first mainland Chinese film shot with 80% of its dialog in English. The acting may not be sublime, but the film resonates with passion. Director Ye Daying's other seminal work, Red Cherries, likewise carries a powerful subject, and brings it to light in his unique way. I like this film.
Another reviewer wanted to liken it Casablanca, and seemed angry that it fell short. But it is not a Western film. The American is not the hero walking off into a dramatic sunset. In this film, America is a spectator to a love that plays out in the quest for a new dawn in a country wrapped in turmoil. Taken on its own terms, it is easy to see why this film has won so many awards from countries around the world. But please, don't expect Casablanca.
This was a pivotal film in the history of Chinese cinema. It is the first widely released mainland Chinese film developed with Western screenwriters (there are more than one credited Western writer on the film). It's the first mainland Chinese film shot with 80% of its dialog in English. The acting may not be sublime, but the film resonates with passion. Director Ye Daying's other seminal work, Red Cherries, likewise carries a powerful subject, and brings it to light in his unique way. I like this film.
Another reviewer wanted to liken it Casablanca, and seemed angry that it fell short. But it is not a Western film. The American is not the hero walking off into a dramatic sunset. In this film, America is a spectator to a love that plays out in the quest for a new dawn in a country wrapped in turmoil. Taken on its own terms, it is easy to see why this film has won so many awards from countries around the world. But please, don't expect Casablanca.
