Spring in a Small Town
by Mu Fei
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chaoming Cui, Hongmei Zhang, Wei Li, Wei Wei, Yu ShiDirector: Mu Fei
Brand: Koch International
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Mandarin Chinese (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-08
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Cinema Epoch
Product features:
- Shot in 1948, SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN has endured a difficult history after being heavily censored by the Chinese government. Fortunately, the favorable tide of opinion from critics and those lucky enough to have seen the film has swept SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN into release once more, and the tale of a woman caught up in myriad relationships is presented here in an uncut version. Format: DVD MOVIE
Movie Reviews of Spring in a Small Town
Movie Review: Interesting but feels strangely European.
Summary: 4 Stars
I am writing this from the perspective of a Westerner who has no knowledge of the Chinese language and has been to China only once (although rather recently).
"Spring in a Small Town" is, for the most part, subtly acted, written, and directed and is not afraid to use symbolism when appropriate. Because it uses a limited number of interior sets for most of the story, it gave me the feeling I was watching a stage play that had been expanded for the screen. Although I found the story to be engaging, I sometimes felt as though I was watching an Ingmar Bergman film (which is not bad). Indeed, the production owes much more to the influences of European filmmakers than to Hollywood, and there is a sort of Scandivavian languor in the way the story is told and developed.
On the negative side, the print is mediocre and the soundtrack, which seems to disappear in a few places, often contains a hum. The English subtitles, which frequently race by so quickly that they can be only partially read, are often, obviously, incorrectly translated. (One of many examples of this is when Zhou Yuwen tells her husband to, "Go back to bed", when he is already in bed. I suspect the correct translation should have been, "Go back to sleep.") There is no music on the soundtrack until the last minute or two when it suddenly comes out of the blue with a somewhat disconcerting effect.
With this said, this is probably the best print that is available for this movie, and if you have any interest in the history of Asian/Chinese film or culture, this is certainly a film to see. Too bad such films do not have access to the financial resources to be properly restored. (Where is the George Eastman House when you need them?)
As for it being "The Greatest Chinese Film Ever Made"? I couldn't tell you since I haven't seen that many Chinese films. But, to be honest, I hope it isn't . . .
Summary of Spring in a Small Town
Set in a secluded, run-down house, Spring in a Small Town is a psychological exploration of the female protagonist Zhou Yuwen and her intricate relationships...Communist historiography censured the film. Since the 1980s, however, it has been critically acclaimed as the best Chinese film of all time and a classic example of ?Eastern? cinema.Similar DVD Movies
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