The fortunes of two women, prostitutes, who flee the Chinese revolution by fleeing their brothel as it's being closed down. Through watching their lifelong progress, as they live in various relationships, we see how China was changing, and how it was not.
The film is beautifully photographed, from a distance, with great care paid to establishing their environment: the streets, and the interiors and exteriors of "home." We get special access to domestic life through the "fugitive" device: because they are in hiding, there is suspense simply in their efforts to live an everyday, inconspicuous life.
I recommend the film for its grace, its beauty, and its insight.
The film is beautifully photographed, from a distance, with great care paid to establishing their environment: the streets, and the interiors and exteriors of "home." We get special access to domestic life through the "fugitive" device: because they are in hiding, there is suspense simply in their efforts to live an everyday, inconspicuous life.
I recommend the film for its grace, its beauty, and its insight.