Si shui liu nian

By the time of this filming, the cultural revolution was over and economic development was on the rise with the advent of Deng Xiaoping's economic policies. Thus, the censor police allowed a peek into the cracks of the social structure of marriage while at the same time espousing the one-child policy, an interesting juxtaposition. We see the rigid village tradition while at the same time witness Coral (Josephine Koo) struggle as a businesswoman. As a film, however, the plot was slow and disjointed, and acting was mostly morose and dull. I did find the cinematography and aspects of village life interesting enough to keep me engaged. Fortunately I was able to witness a semblance of old China from 2013-2015 while capitalism's double edged sword was wielded: the lifting up of millions from poverty while despoiling the environment.