Xiao Hong

I love foreign films, especially as being hearing impaired I need the subtitles, so I looked for Chinese films on Netflix having enjoyed several, but this was the slowest and most boring film since I watched Elvira Madigan in a cinema in Sydney, Australia, while killing time to embark on a sea voyage to UK. I can only say that the scenery was nice; otherwise, the film was so depressing and just SLOW that I found myself fast forwarding to the end, which I never did reach as I gave up and went to bed.

Another problem I had, which may be due to my advancing years or possibly be that I am Caucasian, but with the exception of the main lead, I could not tell the Chinese actresses apart. The girl friend, student, sister, best friend, may have all been the same or different characters as they all had curly hair. I just could not tell. i am not saying that they should cast a blonde, redhead, brunette with curly hair and one with straight hair so that we can tell the difference, but there are ways to differentiate and this film did not do that. Different body shapes, different personalities can all set characters apart. Instead we got beautiful slender women with as much personality as shop window mannequins.

It may well be that I will give this film a try several years hence and thoroughly enjoy it. Who knows!

The movie is about the life of Xiao Hong. She was the Emily Dickson of China. The scripts are totally rely on her few books A ballad of Hulan. The narrator is exactly reading from her books and her books were loved by so many. It has sentimental value to every mainland Chinese who read her works in text books. Another movie of her life is The golden Era, following almost the same story line, but better produced. I wish you can read her books if you ever want to watch it again. Still, it is a biography with so much respects but falling low on some acting and directing. I'd like to thank you for watching it and writing such a truthful review.