So Long, My Son

Set against a background of political and social change in China, it follows the life of the married "Yaojun" (Jingchun Wang) and "Liyun" (Mei Yong). They are contented enough until a tragedy disheartens them thoroughly and they move to a more urban existence which doesn't really suit anyone. It's especially problematic for their adopted son "Liu" (Roy Wang) who takes recalcitrance to an whole new level and just walks out on them one day. Initially concerned for his wellbeing, time elapses and they have to face the immediate difficulties of their own lives - at work and emotionally, before concluding that perhaps they ought to return home. It's a story that constantly moves the stability goalposts for the couple - and though their own love remains steadfast, the pressures put upon them by a society that restricts family numbers then evolves slowly into a market economy that endangers their very livelihood and what prosperity they have worked hard for poses increasing challenges. Eventually, they (and us) begin to realise that perhaps it's grief that is lacking from their life. Grief for their earlier loss(es), for allowing that to fester and inhibit much of the joy of later life - and maybe a resentment of the hand they were dealt by fate. The closing scenes are poignantly reconciliatory and though it looks long on the tin, the slowly developing characterisations are really well presented by two actors who deliver a gently effective chemistry that is palpable - is sometimes exasperating, throughout.

I saw it as a honest - precise portrait of contemporary China. And as realistic, warm image of the essence of parenthood. A profound iuseful film for so many motives than it is unfair to define one of them because, I suppose, each viewer discovers something precious in this film about relations, children, names, fury and love at intense levels and, more important, about truth to yourself.

From China, a masterpiece."So Long, My Son" is an epic account of two families dealing with the trials and tribulations of life in China from the 1980's to the present and is the kind of confident, heartfelt drama many Western filmmakers can only dream about. This is a family saga worthy of Ozu but perhaps even more grounded and down-to-earth, superbly acted by everyone, (leads Jingchun Wang and Mei Yong won Best Actor and Actress at Berlin and deservedly so), superbly shot on a large canvas by Hyun Seok Kim and brilliantly direced by Xiaoshuai Wang. It may not be the easiest film to follow; Wang doesn't tell his tale in a linear fashion as we move back and forth in time as memories are triggered but then who said cinema has to be easy to follow.

Of course, this isn't just a family drama but a comment on Chinese society and is consequently an intimate epic and a beautifully realised political saga at the same time. The 'One Family, One Child' policy is at its core and it is this need for family and for human contact in general that dictates the film's structure. Wang alternates between long shots and close-ups to emphasise the distance between the characters just as the use of colour and music, and naturally make-up, delineate the passage of time. The film begins with a death and death is never far from its surface and yet it's never sentimental but at times almost unbearably moviing. Like I say, a masterpiece and one of the finest films of recent years.

An immense emotional masterpiece with intellectual vibrations which invites the audience, through the crossed gaze of several Chinese families, to question the universality of the feeling of filiation and the meaning of existence. A magisterial and bitter melodrama. 7/8 of 10.

What a beautiful story about what it means to be a parent in this world and how we are all connected.

The story is told by jumping back and forth in time, a flow of scenes giving the viewer a glimpse of the changes in the life of a couple who lost their son and how they try to move on with this loss. Although they abondon old friends after the incident a connection remains and in the end the lives of this group of people comes full circle.

This film brings the message of everyone being connected to another and the importance to sincerely care about others to the screen in such a wonderful way with an incredible cast. The three hours felt so short but something still remains, just like in life when one is touched by the goodness of others.

Highly recommend this movie.