Cast overview: | |||
Nan Yu | ... | Tuya | |
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Ba'toer | ... | Ba'toer - the husband |
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Sen'ge | ... | Sen'ge - the neighbor |
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Bao'lier | ... | Bao'lier - the old friend |
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Bao'erku | ... | Bao'erku - the suitor |
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Zhaya | ... | Zhaya - the son |
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Ting Ting Ren | ... | Bao'rao - the daughter |
Tuya is the persevering wife of Bater, a herdsman who lost his legs exploring water in the Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia) grassland that is fast vanishing as a result of desertification. She takes up the sole responsibility to make a living for the family, but develops a dislocated lumbar from her hard labor and risks paralysis herself. Faced with harsh reality, the couple decide to divorce so that Tuya can seek a better life. Imposing her own conditions of a remarriage - her new husband must take care of Bater, their children and their poor herding land, the strong-minded, stubborn, but also gentle, susceptible Tuya embarks on an arduous search for a new husband, and meets suiters who are rich but disingenuous, likable but shy, and saves a suicidal Bater who still longs for Tuya and their children along the way. Written by Perry Yu {perry@pobox.com}
Any film that offers an open window into viewing other culture is always greeted with open arms (at least for me,anyway). 'Tuya's Marriage' is a tale that is set in Inner Mongolia about a thirty something woman named Tuya who is trying to get by,day for day with an older,disabled husband & young children. An opportunity arises for Tuya to make life a little better by getting re-married to a younger man,who (hopefully)would support her meager family. Trouble is,her choices are one disaster after another (including a wealthy suitor who fancied her in middle school). This film, although lushly photographed, seems to be stuck between wanting to be a black comedy, or an exercise in Asian existentialism. Still, the (mostly)non professional cast seems to play their roles well. This film is still worth checking out,none the less.