A true story, or not? It doesn't matter. This is such a brilliant movie on so many levels its hard to recount them all.
This is a great movie for just about anybody. It gets better if you like a story that features an un-compromising, absolutely determined female child in the lead role. But its even better if you happen to have had a teacher in your life you endeared, or are a teacher and have had a favorite pupil. It gets better if you're a father looking for a strong role model for your daughter. Its better still if you have Chinese ancestry in your family. It gets better if you have an interest in learning more about the daily conditions of modern-day rural and urban China, delivered via a master cinematographer. It gets better if you think education occurs best when children take an active role in lessons situated in a context meaningful to them (see the math lessons in the movie). And finally, if you are many of these, there's a message at the top of the credit roll that will either break your heart or confirm your knowledge of the relentless unfairness of the human condition.
On top of all this, the movie is littered with priceless vignettes: the children writing single-character calligraphy on the chalk board; the misbehaving students and the absent teacher; the dedicated teacher who will stand for two days at the security gate asking every passerby if they are the "general manager"; the famished child waif guiltily but aggressively eating someone's leftover dinner from the tabletop of a street-side café; the pervasive role of money on life's most basic pursuits.
This movie has the emotion of "To Sir, with Love" and the honesty of Himalaya.
Yimou Zhang doesn't just use actresses and actors to portray the parts; he uses the real thing, culling the mayor, students, and teachers from rural villages, the television station manager, the restaurateur from the city, etc. How he manages to capture these people in the natural presentations of their characters is impressive. The performances were so convincing I marveled at their exquisite, authentic qualities. I kept asking myself "how did these actresses and actors nail their parts so well?" When the credits rolled the secret was revealed.
This is a great movie for just about anybody. It gets better if you like a story that features an un-compromising, absolutely determined female child in the lead role. But its even better if you happen to have had a teacher in your life you endeared, or are a teacher and have had a favorite pupil. It gets better if you're a father looking for a strong role model for your daughter. Its better still if you have Chinese ancestry in your family. It gets better if you have an interest in learning more about the daily conditions of modern-day rural and urban China, delivered via a master cinematographer. It gets better if you think education occurs best when children take an active role in lessons situated in a context meaningful to them (see the math lessons in the movie). And finally, if you are many of these, there's a message at the top of the credit roll that will either break your heart or confirm your knowledge of the relentless unfairness of the human condition.
On top of all this, the movie is littered with priceless vignettes: the children writing single-character calligraphy on the chalk board; the misbehaving students and the absent teacher; the dedicated teacher who will stand for two days at the security gate asking every passerby if they are the "general manager"; the famished child waif guiltily but aggressively eating someone's leftover dinner from the tabletop of a street-side café; the pervasive role of money on life's most basic pursuits.
This movie has the emotion of "To Sir, with Love" and the honesty of Himalaya.
Yimou Zhang doesn't just use actresses and actors to portray the parts; he uses the real thing, culling the mayor, students, and teachers from rural villages, the television station manager, the restaurateur from the city, etc. How he manages to capture these people in the natural presentations of their characters is impressive. The performances were so convincing I marveled at their exquisite, authentic qualities. I kept asking myself "how did these actresses and actors nail their parts so well?" When the credits rolled the secret was revealed.