I had no idea what to expect going into this movie, but I was still disappointed.
The story has an interesting start. We are presented with a character who feels remorse over something in her past. As the movie progresses, it develops in a mildly satisfying way and you almost get an interesting story, but then comes the propaganda.
The woman is a public official and feels guilty for abandoning her boyfriend years ago when he was accused of being a dissident. After years of him being in exile, a folder with his request for pardon comes to her desk, which brings the memories come flooding back. She travels back to the place where he spent the past decades, and we are shown what lead a promising young mind to being exiled by the government he so firmly believe in.
When she arrives, and for no reason that I could understand, the (almost faceless) superiors that expelled him from the party (and, in practice, exiled him) are outed as incompetent. They were the ones against "The Party". The Party is benevolent and perfect, and in seeing him wronged, corrects the mistakes of those backwards officials.
Thus, "The Party" is never at fault, being almost an omnipotent entity that, when it appears, will right all the wrongs, and then everything is OK, and the people and the country will move forwards, led by The Party.
In my opinion, this is not a good movie. But I don't regret watching it. It is completely removed from my personal experience. It also made me want to visit China. To learn about the culture and attempt to understand it. And that is why I watch films: to expand my horizons.
The story has an interesting start. We are presented with a character who feels remorse over something in her past. As the movie progresses, it develops in a mildly satisfying way and you almost get an interesting story, but then comes the propaganda.
The woman is a public official and feels guilty for abandoning her boyfriend years ago when he was accused of being a dissident. After years of him being in exile, a folder with his request for pardon comes to her desk, which brings the memories come flooding back. She travels back to the place where he spent the past decades, and we are shown what lead a promising young mind to being exiled by the government he so firmly believe in.
When she arrives, and for no reason that I could understand, the (almost faceless) superiors that expelled him from the party (and, in practice, exiled him) are outed as incompetent. They were the ones against "The Party". The Party is benevolent and perfect, and in seeing him wronged, corrects the mistakes of those backwards officials.
Thus, "The Party" is never at fault, being almost an omnipotent entity that, when it appears, will right all the wrongs, and then everything is OK, and the people and the country will move forwards, led by The Party.
In my opinion, this is not a good movie. But I don't regret watching it. It is completely removed from my personal experience. It also made me want to visit China. To learn about the culture and attempt to understand it. And that is why I watch films: to expand my horizons.