Qing hong

the story takes place in inland china in the 70's. it shows the life of a middle class family relocated to the inland factory by the communist party. these people who were originally from shanghai, consider life in the mountainous town to be futureless for themselves and their children. the father in particular takes out some of his frustration on his daughter, who is just blooming and is in love with a young man.

this movie works on several levels. it shows the conflict between the parents and the young woman, it shows the secret life of her social age, it discuss's the cultural revolution (the kids dance to western music) happening in china about that time as contrasted to the staid and solid existence of a factory worker. the movie does critique the communist government, but in an elliptical manner, since i guess it does have to pass the censors in china. but i think that works to it's credit.

this movie shows a complete and very accurate view of china in this time period. the houses, the kitchen, the school, the way they dress and their aspirations, the attitude of the parents and the children, it is all spot on. my only negative would be that the storyline for the young girl is somewhat overly dramatic. it is as if the director started by focusing on her and then shifts to a more general broad view of life. i especially enjoyed the acting of the father and overall i thought it was very realistic and well shot.

i highly recommend this movie.

Qing Hong gives a great historic insight in the Chinese life in the 70's. Unlike films like 'Das Leben der Anderen' and 'Hotel Rwanda' Wang achieves this with a good story. Even though the films mentioned above are realistic, Wang tells the story from the everyday live perspective and I feel it makes it easier for the audience to connect with it. I also think the film isn't made too dramatic like 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'Das Leben der Anderen' tend to be. Of course it is dramatic, but it isn't like you're watching pure fiction. This film had a thorough impact on me, considering the fact that I'm writing this comment a year after I've seen it. I just saw Beijing Bicycle, which is supposed to be better than Qing Hong (I read a review somewhere), and it made me think of Qing Hong, since they're both films directed by Wang. To make a long story short: great film with an interesting historic touch to it.

8/10

Shanghai Dreams is a slow, insightful drama set in the 1980s in Guiyangg, a town in China's Guizhou province. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, efforts to create a 'third line of defence' against the Soviet Union led to an influx of migrants to inland settlements. Guiyang was one such destination, but the town has since grown dilapidated and its people despondent. The opening scene introduces the central character, Qinghong, engaged in a group session of callisthenics, a façade of harmony that belies her unhappy existence and the fractured, disillusioned society that she inhabits.

Qinghong's domineering father makes her life a misery. Li Bin, young factory worker seeks Qinghong's affections, but is thwarted at every turn by her father, who is mistrustful of this locally-born suitor. The tragic consequences that ensue from the suppression of this relationship are especially troubling in that they appear to vindicate the father's negative view of country folk – that they are not to be trusted. It is unfortunate that the film focuses almost exclusively on the lives of the city folk who have moved to Guiyang and gives short shrift to the country folk living there.

The quiet rebellion of Qinghong and her friend Xiao Zhen is handled more effectively. The duo escapes the clutches of their parents and head to a party with other rebellious teenagers. The party is a slightly surreal affair, combining Westernised clothing (flares and the like), Boney M songs and some memorable disco moves. The conflicts that divide the superficially harmonious town are again apparent when the party is violently interrupted by workers from a neighbouring factory.

As the film progresses it becomes increasingly clear why Qinghong's father is desperate to keep his daughter on a tight leash. His family moved to Guiyang some ten years previously, enthusiastically backing the government's plan to strengthen the interior of China. But the dream of a successful new life in these new surrounds has come to nothing: the town is moribund and there are few opportunities for young people. The Communist Party is present only as a faint babbling on TV and radio. Qinghong's father desperately wants to move back to Shanghai, and therefore also wants to keep his daughter from becoming attached to the country folk who live in Guiyang, including Li Bin. Qinghong's parents sacrificed their happiness to embrace an ultimately hollow dream and are now sacrificing their daughter's happiness to sustain their dream of escaping back to a better life.

The malaise in the town of Guiyang is reinforced by the visual style of director Wang Xiaoshuai. Until the very end of Shanghai Dreams we see little of the countryside; the drama unfolds largely within the confines of the town and the repetition of scenery and camera angles makes for a stifling, claustrophobic atmosphere. Throughout the film, Xiaoshuai deploys unusual camera angles to considerable effect, particularly when filming the distress of the long-delayed encounter between Qinghong and her would-be boyfriend.

The enigmatic ending to Shanghai Dreams will likely cause confusion; I for one cannot fully fathom the meaning of the final scene. However, although this is not an altogether satisfactory note on which to end the film, this is still one of the finest Chinese films that I have seen to date.

The reviews calling this film boring and unrealistic show the grip Hollywood has on cinema audiences. One of the best features about non Hollywood cinema, particularly Asian cinema, is a fearless adherence to telling a story without a fairytale ending or some heartwarming relief. Shanghai Dreams explores a number of themes, such as adolescent rebellion, sexual liberation in 80s China and parental wishes and techniques. It's an epic and absorbing tale told using realistic and often bleak cinematography, in a hilly Chinese inland countryside that seems to be forever beset by fogs and rain. Although the near 2 hour length means it is exhaustingly bleak and leaves one emotionally drained by the end.

Qing Hong, 青紅 is a film that captures this strong innocence and sadness that is rarely seen in modern films these days. When I first watched the film I thought the father (played by AnLian Yao, 姚安濂) was a bastard. But on the second viewing, and knowing the course of events, I understand more of why he is the way he is. AnLian Yao's performance was also striking and effective. YuanYuan Gao 高圓圓 portrays Qing Hong seemingly effortlessly and with a melancholy that is heart wrenching. She has this beauty that isn't forced and shines on screen.

I liked how the rich historical backdrop of the movie played second to the emotional lives of the characters involved. Though the times may be different now, the characters still speak clearly to me the same pain and hope that exists today.

This film was truly enjoyable to watch.