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Re-visiting The Road Home by snailman
Recently, I had the opportunity to see "The Road Home" again on a big screen (twice, actually). For those of you who don't know, my first encounter with this incredible film -- and hence with ZZ -- occurred back in September of last year. Then as now, it was an enchanting experience from start to finish, yet I believe that I was even more overwhelmed by the emotional purity and depth of the story, compared to last year.
I think I pretty much agree with Virgule who has stated that TRH is his favorite film (by far), yet believes CTHD to be the greatest movie ever made. However, I read lots of short opinions here about the virtues of TRH and its impact on people, but few posters actually exploring the sources of that impact.
To make a long story short, my personal take is that those who are really affected deeply by TRH have an acknowledged yearning for authenticity, true and lasting love, and a time and place where life was much less complicated than it tends to be today. Some of us may recognize how shallow the prevailing wisdom about "progress" actually is, and how debatable our society's notions about standards of living etc. tend to be. In a nutshell, romantics are likely to recognize TRH as a stunning manifestation of their ideals, whereas cynical people may find it cheesy and completely "unrealistic".
I find many scenes in the movie that are nothing less than intense moments of distilled wisdom about the human condition (as interpreted by Zhang Yimou, with ZZ being his divine medium), and I can only label them as having a magical quality. For example, I get goosebumps just prior to the beginning of the flashback, when the son picks up the old picture of his parents and begins the narrative of their courtship. Another scene is Zhao Di finding the bowl repaired, yet denying toward her mother that anything is amiss.
Similarly, when she sits in front of the mirror, putting back on the hairclip she was looking for in vain for so long -- her face expresses deep knowledge of her desperate situation, yet also immense determination. Another touching sequence is when she repairs the school's windows and redecorates the room in the middle of winter. These scenes without any dialogue have such deep eloquence about them.
Finally, I really like the final moments of the flashback when the narrative explains how the lovers had to wait for two more years before they were allowed to be together. On a brilliant winter day, we see Zhao Di from behind and above, waiting at that fateful spot on the road. Then the camera moves downward to reveal more and more of the spectacular winter panorama, and finally we see straight into her face, into those incredible eyes that scan the horizon for the first glimpse of her beloved. This scene is one of many that has a magnetic quality for me.
Overall, I feel that everything in this film exudes quality, authenticity, realism, and sweeping emotional depth. There is much more to it than "just" the most intense love story ever put on screen. Lots of symbolism and socioeconomic commentary, for example, for those who care to notice the implicit sidekicks. Zhang Yimou is a genius, his cinematographer is (arguably) second-to-none, and ZZ is beyond description in her mesmerizing film debut. And it all coalesces into the most profound and touching movie experience of all time. At least in my humble opinion.
Discussions
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