Roots and Branches (2003) Wo de xiong di jie mei (original title)

Director:

Zhong Yu

Writers:

Tong Cheng (writer)
Zhong Yu

Genre:

Family

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jian Cui
Wu Jiang
Gigi Leung	...	Qi Sitian
Yu Xia
Jianxin Zhang

Directed by
Zhong Yu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tong Cheng		writer
Zhong Yu

Cinematography by
Lu Gan

Distributors

• Cinema Parisien (Japan) (theatrical)
• Wise Policy (2003) (Japan) (all media)

Also Known As:

"Wo de xiong di jie mei" - China (original title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

A Simple Story, Beautifully Told

When I got the DVD through the post, immediately I noticed the sticker on the box that said, "Award Winning", but then again, the design on the box wasn't the most alluring. Of course, most of us either embrace the "Award Winning" sticker and go off and see the movie immediately, others (like myself) are quite skeptical about what it really means.

Anyway, in my opinion whatever award was given to it, it was well deserved. The story tells of a family with four children, Yuki, Sitian, Miao and Tian who grow up in a small town in China. The children (whom most parents would regard as idyllic or angellic!) bond most lovingly, looking out for each other during their young lives.

However, their world gets shattered as their parents are victims of a blizzard. Yuki, the eldest brother, is given the responsibility of his siblings, but eventually, he is forced to offer himself and his siblings up for adoption, and they are all separated. Twenty years later, Sitian returns to China, having lived in America where she's become a famous conductor. Slowly, she tries to track down her siblings, as they silently rediscover what was lost between them.

Whilst it's a simple idea, the film was brilliantly executed, with some truly awesome acting. The ancient anecdote about children and animals seemed to have been completely quashed here, as the acting performance of the four children were outstanding. And for that one must compliment the director, since to get the right performance from one child is one immense task, but to have done it from all four is outstanding.

The script itself is built on very solid ground. The movie is centred around flashbacks, but the movie flows like a dream and is so easy to follow. What's more compelling is the depiction of daily life in a traditional Chinese town. Whilst most of today's literature in the West about China is focused on individual struggles against the establishment during the Cultural revolution, etc., this story relates more to the struggle against everyday life in China, and gives the truer impression that not all things in China are all political and repressive.

All in all, I finished watching the movie feeling completely satisfied. It is one which can be a tearjerker, and is quite emotional. And there is little overdone or underdone about it. It's simple, and tells a story in a magical and beautiful way. And it's been done without the big budget studio. Definitely one to watch again.