This is truly one of the best films ever, not only out of China, but "period!" This is a simple story from 1980s China, about a rural father who has been delivering the mail on foot in the mountainous Hunan Province area for decades, and who is about to retire from that responsible position. He would dearly love his only son to assume the position, but like some young men in virtually every country, the son does not have a close relationship with the father, and wants to leave the mountains for a better life, perhaps in the city. He rejects the idea of taking over the difficult mail route, but agrees to travel with his aging father on what will be his final delivery.
The story moves very quickly, partially because of the simplicity and the believability of both the tale and the acting, including the German Shepherd named "Buddy" who has always accompanied the father, and the non-complex nature of the story. The English subtitles are very, very good, which adds to the pleasure of the viewing experience. Filmed on location, the natural scenery and cinematography are absolutely stunning. As the tale progresses, so does the relationship between the father and son. There are occasional very essential flashbacks that describe the father's early experiences, especially in how he met a lovely mountain girl during his route, how they married, and how they lived after he took her from her mountain village to live in his lowland home.
But the great power of the film lies in the evolution of the father-son relationship, and the wonderfully described parallels between the father's experiences and those of the son on this single journey. Additionally, it is a powerful lesson on dedication to one's job, as very effectively presented in the story line, and marvelously portrayed by the father. My wife and I have described the film to many people, like our own grown children, and encouraged them to take a bit over an hour and one-half to watch and enjoy this beautiful and moving film, but of course the reactions were predictable, to wit: "I am gong to watch some Chinese movie that I can't even understand," and "Do I have to?" Every relative and friend who has ever borrowed our original (now worn out!) DVD has had at least similarly strong opinions about the movie, and some have emerged from the viewing misty-eyed. "How could such a simple film be so good and so moving?" Read the reasons above, purchase the film, and I will guarantee that you will watch it several times. You may even ask yourselves, "Why do they not make beautiful, wholesome films like this anymore?"
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For young people, villages or cities?
Reviewed in Canada on November 17, 2018