Ye ben

It is a story about two men and a woman --- more likely two boys and a girl as they were innocent and confused in their own way.

There may be no more complicated things than three kinds of love twisted between three close friends constantly influenced by surroundings. There are other films about this triangle, but set in the unsettling historic period before the country's new foundation and mixed with the fascinating Chinese verbal culture of Kun drama, this film offers one of the deepest and most overwhelming cinematic experiences I've ever had. Lei Huang and Rene Liu, as usual, brought forward nostalgically exquisite acting and Chris Babida's music was just as graceful as his any other works. Chao-te Yin was a surprising found, handsome with both manly fortitude and feminine delicacy.

It's original, subtle and very literarily poetic. The dialogues are sometimes so neotericly literary that it almost reminds me of Lu Xun, Lao She and all those great writers once in the junior Chinese books. Thus, some pieces were very unnatural as being said by the characters, but I think there is no problem alike when you only get their meanings from the subtitles, but also that's when some of its unique charm lost. I guess that's a universal problem when it comes to foreign language films.

It may not be perfect due to some factitious parts here and there, which in no way harm the beauty and depth on the whole. Most importantly, it manages to tell us: love is multifarious, but the universal truth about it is it comes from the heart. Be it tortured by circumstances, it will always find a way to last.

Strongly recommend it to Chinese viewers who need a nostalgic introspection and foreign film lovers who want something totally different from other foreign language cinematic experiences (Chinese ones of exclusive lower-class depiction included).

There are two reason why I write this review. First, I like this movie, it is a good film. I only feel pity that the film concentrate only around the three main characters but not much about the relation between the rich man and the theatre actor (Lin Chung). It has only shows a bit but immediately hide it. In their "love" scene, it seems that Lin was not really forced but someway somehow consensual. At the end of that scene, they are a kind of "holding/leaning on each other's naked body. At the "running away" night, when the rich man was watching the opera without Lin in, his eyes are red, there were tears in his eyes. It would be much nicer and richer if there was a sub-plot for that. The movie talks about gay love, the encounter between the young guy and the theatre actor is simply not enough for that.

Secondly, please do not compare this movie with films from Wong Kar Wai as one of the viewer has done. This movie is far much better than those artificial films from him.

"Fleeing by Night" is far from a perfect film, but it is the most enthralling thing I have seen on the big screen in months. It's a movie that I have been thinking about and re-thinking about since I left the cinema, and isn't that what a good film does to its viewer?

The backdrop of the film is pre-war, pre-Japanese-invasion China, a young woman, Ing'er, is the daughter of a wealthy businessman who, among other enterprises, runs an opera house. She is captivated by and admires from a distance the talent and beauty of the star of the troupe, Lin Chung. We learn that Lin Chung has a rare, special talent for Chinese opera that makes him an instant success on stage. We also learn very early on that he is a tortured soul having been orphaned as a baby and raised by his "master", the leader of the opera troupe. So, despite his countless admirers, his life is one without identity, working essentially as a slave in a circus act. His relationship with his troupe leader most closely resembles that of a prostitute-pimp relationship.

Things get interesting when Shaodung returns home from America, a young cellist who has been promised Ing'er as a wife. At first, bored and uninterested in the opera, he has one of those life-transforming moments when he hears (and sees) Lin Chung on the stage. The two young men finally meet, and despite some awkward early moments, the chemistry between them is undeniable and unavoidable.

Unlike most movies, this film climaxes about 2/3 into it in a scene in a car when the two men's affections for one another are tested. Due to fear, jealousy, shame, and hurt feelings, their window of opportunity is tragically missed. From there the film takes one tragic turn after another over-ambitiously trying to incorporate just about every tragedy imaginable: rape, murder, family scandal, foreign invasion, war, disease, prison, ... you name it. Although the film suffers for this, surprisingly when it all comes to an end, it doesn't feel as contrived as it could have had it been in less competent hands.

The film certainly has some flaws: First, it isn't until the Japanese invasion that you have a clear sense for what era the film is supposed to be taking place. It is somewhat obvious that it is set somewhere in the past, but there was a failure to truly capture that in the scenery, the characters, and costume design (unlike Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love", for example). Second, despite the stereotypically tragic nature of the tale, the treatment of homosexuality was generally sympathetic. That is, with the exception of one horrible scene which was totally unnecessary and will make every gay and lesbian person cringe and sigh, "Oh, no, not again." And lastly, the narrative sequence at the end that carries us through the entire lives of the characters was somewhat awkward, though again, it was handled about as well as one could handle this technique.

In sum, "Fleeing by Night" is definitely a film to be seen by all; it's another brilliant example of Chinese cinema that is increasingly cornering the market on good sentimental tragedy-romances. Though not perfect, it's an amazing achievement and without doubt one of 2000's best movies.

I saw this film recently on TV and even on a small screen found it a wonderful viewing experience.

The story moves along at a graceful pace allowing us to observe a 'classic' love triangle in the context of 1930s Chinese culture. Others have provided excellent plot overviews and I would encourage you to read them below.

This film reminded me of the 'love' issues raised from a different angle in the Korean movie 'Bungee Jumping of Their Own'. Both movies tackle challenging subjects in a sensitive manner and leave you thinking about the characters and the plot for months afterward.

I am keen to see 'Ye ben' on a big screen and encourage anyone who wants a truly moving experience to do likewise.

For me - 9/10

This movie captures the beauty of 1930s China, prior to the Japanese invasion the presaged World War II. The costuming is spectacular and acting superb in the dance/operatic scenes. It is a sad film, almost a weeper, as other reviewers have noted. Among the underrated talents of directors is their ability to make you feel the rain and wind in a scene, such that they become cast members. The reaction of characters to nature is part of what gives this movie a memorably enjoyable after-affect. Finally, just as I discovered this movie from an IMDb reviewer, I would like to thank reviewer JonSturgess for directing me to, Bungee Jumping on Their Own, a similarly poignant romance.