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Starring
:
Zhang
Ziyi
Honglei
Sun
Hao
Zheng
Yulian
Zhao
Bin
Li
Guifa
Chang
Producer
:
Zhao
Yu
Director
:
Zhang
Yimou
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THE
ROAD HOME (1999)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
When
a well-loved resident of one of China's more distant villages
dies, the local community is shattered and the far away son,
Luo Changyu, is asked to return to organise the funeral. On
arriving back in the town he has long since left, Luo sees his
distraught mother who is barely able to come to terms with the
death of her beloved husband. The mother, Zhao Di, asks her
son to lead a funeral procession with the coffin that will
take in the original road he used to arrive in the village
many years before. As they plan this unusual ceremony, the
mother tells her son the now fabled story of his parents
courtship and how their love conquered all the trails they
faced. The young Zhao Di (Zhang Ziyi) is the most beautiful
and certainly the most sought-after young woman in the village
though she has little interest in the many offers of marriage
she receives. Her feelings change when a young teacher arrives
in the village to help out at the local school and immediately
their eyes meet across the crowded welcoming party. As time
goes by, Zhao and the young teacher Luo Yu Sheng gradually
fall in love and the whole village is very keen to encourage
their romance. However, their delicate love is shattered when
Luo is ordered to return to the big city by the authorities
and given no indication as to when he can return. Nonetheless,
love conquers all and the couple are reunited after Luo
bravely risks punishment to return to the village for just one
day.
Rarely
has the simple theme of love been given such a spellbinding
presentation as Zhang Yimou's 'The Road Home'. Having made his
name as a director of politically-challenging Mainland dramas,
Zhang now enchants viewers with this exquisite story of an
innocent and heart-warming courtship between two appealing
leads. Not only does the searing beauty of their love
hypnotise the viewer, but the rich vistas of the Chinese
countryside also add to the effect; the overall power remains
in the memory long after the final frames. Some viewers may
argue that the storyline is slight and lacks the substance
required of exceptional films. Perhaps this may be true as
there is little beyond the central narrative; however, that
may be to miss the point of 'The Road Home'. There are few
productions that can boast the sheer grace of this splendid
ode to love. Zhang Ziyi (forever to be remembered for her role
in 'Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon') is a major reason for the previous
commendation that I have afforded the film. Her astounding
beauty coupled with a touching fragility means that the love
she displays is totally believable. 'The Road Home' is a
genuine achievement of Eastern cinema and comes highly
recommended.
Rating:
 
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