I found this Chinese film listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the title did not suggest anything particular in terms of storyline or plot, but I was willing to watch it whatever. Basically following the end of World War II, the Dai family were once prosperous, but have become ruined in the compound, husband and patriarch Liyan (Shi Yu) has become an invalid and spends his days experiencing nostalgia of the past in the courtyard. Liyan's marriage Zhou Yuwen (Wei Wei) has become loveless for a long time, but both feel concern for each other, Liyan's young teenage sister Xiu (Zhang Hongmei) is too young to remember the past, she stays cheerful and playful in the ruins of the house, there is also the family's old faithful servant Lao Huang (Chaoming Cui). An unexpected visitor into this dreary but unchanging existence or the family, Liyan's childhood friend Zhang Zhichen (Li Wei) is a doctor from Shanghai, also a former flame of Yuwen before she met her husband. The rest if the film sees Yuwen, Liyan, Zhichen and Xiu caught in a love quadrangle. Yuwen is conflicted feels love for Zhichen, but has loyalty for Liyan and her family. Liyan loves his wife, but feels unworthy of her and ashamed of himself. Xiu has turned sixteen, she develops feelings for Zhichen, who himself is conflicted himself between his love for Yuwen and loyalty to his friend. It is apparent to Liyan and Xiu that Yuwen and Zhichen still love each other, Liyan attempts suicide, but Zhichen resuscitates him, Zhichen leaves, with Huand and Xiu walking him to the train station, he promises to return in a year, Yuwen watch Zhichen watches from the wall, with Liyan by her side. Also starring Hongmei Zhang as Meimei. I only just got what was going on during the film, because you have to read many subtitles, I admit I may drifted off somewhere, but I got the gist of the story, with a love triangle (or square) between the four main characters, it was rather quiet throughout, but you certainly felt the melancholic stuff, and there was good camera-work and lighting, all in all it's not a bad drama. Worth watching!
Review of Spring in a Small Town
