UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE - MIFF 2011

This is the latest film from Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, and after his remake of the Coen Brother’s “Blood Simple” and his extravagant martial arts films, this is a return to the style of film that originally made him famous.

Set against the backdrop of a cultural revolution in 1970’s China, Jing, who is a trainee teacher, is sent to the country to be “re-educated”.  She is given a host family to stay with and while there she meets and falls in love with Sun, a geology student also staying with the family.  The attraction is mutual and instantaneous, however due to political pressures and social beliefs, their love must be kept secret.  

When Jing returns to the city, Sun works as many overtime hours as he can, so he is awarded days off, which he uses to see Jing.  One day while having a good day together, the couple is inadvertently caught by Jing’s mother, who explains that this romance cannot continue without jeopardizing Jing’s future.  If the romance was ever found out Jing (who at this stage is now a teacher, albeit on probation) would lose her job and likely never receive another like it.  Jing’s mother knows it is not fair, but asks Sun if he truly loves her daughter, leave her until the time is right for them to be together.  It breaks his heart, but Sun agrees, and is not heard of again, until some months later word comes from the country village that Sun is in a hospital.  At this point, Jing decides that her love for Sun is more important than anything else, and decides to follow her heart and to look for Sun.

I adored this film, it was just so sweet.  The film is based on a book which in turn is based on real-life events.  The characters of Jing and Sun are so likable and you truly enjoy being in their presence.  Their story of forbidden and true love is so full of innocence and heart that it is just beautiful to watch and you long for them to be together.

Zhang Yimou has always had an eye for gorgeous images and he stays true to that formula here.  As opposed to the bold and stylized look of Yimou’s earlier film “Hero”, the visuals of “Under The Hawthorn Tree” are beautiful due to their simplicity with every frame being exquisitely composed.  Yimou and his cinematographer, Zhao Xiaoding (who has lensed all of Yimou’s features since “House Of Flying Daggers”), should be commended for their outstanding craftsmanship here.  Both leads, Zhou Dongyu as Jing and Shawn Dou as Sun are fantastic, but it is Zhou Dongyu who shines the brightest.  She reminds me so much of Zhang Ziyi when she debuted in Yimou’s “The Road Home”, she is just so cute and full of life.

I should mention that this film is a tear-jerker and that there are a number of emotional scenes that are all handled beautifully.  The end is especially heartbreaking and I must admit that it got me.  I wasn’t the only one though as I could hear a lot of people crying throughout the cinema during the finale.  I suppose the cynics could accuse the film of being emotionally “manipulative”, but at its core isn’t all film manipulative?  It is a series of images put together by a director to create an emotional response in the audience, and to make them feel something.  Manipulative or not, I’m not ashamed to admit that I fell under the spell of “Under The Hawthorn Tree”, it is a beautiful film.

4 Stars.