Springtime in a Small Town

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Springtime in a Small Town
Directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang
Produced by William Kong
Li Xiaowan
TIng Yatming
Written by Ah Cheng
Fei Mu (1948 screenplay)
Li Tianji (short story)
Starring Hu Jingfan
Wu Jun
Xin Baiqing
Ye Xiaokeng
Lu Si Si
Music by Zhao Li
Cinematography Pin Bing Lee
Editing by Xu Jianping
Distributed by United States:
Palm Pictures
United Kingdom:
Artificial Eye
Release date(s) Venice:
4 September 2002
United Kingdom:
13 June 2003
United States:
14 May 2004
Running time 116 min.
Country China
France
The Netherlands
Language Mandarin
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Springtime in a Small Town (Chinese: 小城之春; pinyin: Xiǎochéng zhī chūn) is a 2002 Chinese film directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang. The film is a remake of director Fei Mu's 1948 film, Spring in a Small Town. Though the two movies are referred to by different English titles, both share the same title in Chinese, 小城之春 ("Xiǎochéng zhī chūn").

Springtime in a Small Town marks the return of Tian Zhuangzhuang to the director's chair, following a nearly nine-year absence since his last film, The Blue Kite (1993). It was funded by several production companies from China (Beijing Film Studio, Beijing Rosart Film), France (Orly Films, Paradis Films), and the Netherlands (Fortissimo Films).

Unlike Kite, Springtime is an intimate affair with no overt political references, causing at least one reviewer to see it as Tian's "playing it careful" upon his return to directing.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

The film follows Fei Mu's original fairly closely. Zhang Zhichen (Xin Baiqing), a city doctor, comes to visit his old friend from school Dai Liyan (Wu Jun) shortly after the war against the Japanese has ended. Dai is sickly although Zhang suspects it to be mainly a case of hypochondria. While visiting, he meets Liyan's wife, Yuwen (Hu Jingfan) and Liyan's young teenage sister Dai Xiu (Lu Sisi).

Zhang quickly realizes that he and Yuwen had had a brief but passionate affair ten years earlier before she had been engaged to marry her husband. Due to her husband's sickness however, the couple had ceased any real physical contact. With Zhang back, both Yuwen and the doctor find themselves again attracted to one another.

As emotions run high, Dai Xiu's birthday comes up. As the drinks begin to flow, Zhang and Yuwen's mutual attraction emerge clearly to everyone, especially to Liyan. Too sickly in his mind to care for his wife any longer, he begs Zhang to stay. Liyan then promptly attempts suicide by overdose but is saved by his friend. Zhang then decides that it is best that he departs.

[edit] Cast

Unlike Tian's ensemble direction in The Blue Kite, the cast here is deliberately limited to only five actors, all of whom were unknowns at the time of Springtime's release.[1]

  • Hu Jingfan as Yuwen, the wife;
  • Wu Jun as Dai Liyan, her husband;
  • Xin Baiqing as Zhang Zhichen, Dai Liyan's childhood friend and Yuwen's former lover
  • Ye Xiaokeng as Lao Huang, Dai Liyan and Yuwen's loyal servant
  • Lu Sisi as Dai Xiu, Dai Liyan's young sister.

[edit] Reception

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] DVD

Springtime in a Small Town was released in the United States on DVD on November 23, 2004 and is distributed by Palm Pictures. The DVD features subtitles in English.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kemp, Philip (July 2003). Springtime in a Small Town. BFI, Sight & Sound. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang
Red Elephant (1982) • Jiuyue (1984) • On the Hunting Ground (1984) • The Horse Thief (1986) • Drum Singer (1987) • Rock 'n' Roll Kids (1988) • Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991) • The Blue Kite (1993) • Springtime in a Small Town (2001) • Delamu (2004) • The Go Master (2006)
v • d • e
Cinema of China
 This article related to Chinese film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.