An invaluably sad but exceptionally beautiful work of art realistically depicting instability and mutability of all things in modern life. It's inevitably fluid like nature of human evolution between one époque to another. I can feel ethereal touch of Author's filial love to his mother country china. It is easy to see that the Author was torn between his deep seated love for China and Ambition of prosperity on his chosen land (France) at the moment of his life time decision making. This is something that not many understand unless you are forced to leave from your homeland and love ones for a cause. I have left Japan , Kyoto and a noble born beloved fiancé along with almost all things I perceived exquisite at that time for an ambitious cause.Augmented by an outstanding soundtracks with his genius touch in a perfect synchronization with emotion portrayed in screenplay. Since I have played harpsichord continuo part for Haendel's tragic opera such as Alcina, Otone and Radamisto for student soprano singers during rehearsals in the past, I can readily feel Author's masterful quality of refined artistic mind in every scene.This is a second film that I bought for my collection of Dai Sijie's works. I must admit that he is a genius of screenplay when it comes to depicting moments of painful separation. Who else can reproduce so vividly on the screen with such poetic touch today? Julien Kujo, Palo Alto, California

We showed this film to an audience of 30 at our Community Cinema here in Shrsophire, and were astonished at its wholehearted power and pleasure. The average rating was just over 9.**** spoiler *** But what about the ending? None of us had read the novel, so were able only to make our judgements based on what we saw. Another IMDb commentator tells us that the seamstress's re-education via Balzac was life enhancing and that she was saved from a state of ignorance and isolation by it. And that is what most of us saw - but a couple of days later, I began to think again - such a message would hardly have seemed likely to get today's Chinese State's support, so would they allow it to be made within their territory? So,was she a fulfilled young woman, made "better" by Balzac? Which girl left the village before the valley was flooded - she did, but which one was happy and smiling, and even about being moved to a new site in the near future? Not the seamstress - she'd left with no goodbyes, no smile, no security, no company, no long hair, no money, no virginity, no baby and no pride. We heard no more about her than that she'd been sought out by one of the young men, who'd learned that she may have gone to Hong Kong. As what, though? We are not told. As a happy-as-Larry top class clothes designer perhaps, or as a sewing machine sales-person - or as a "lost soul" prostitute? I wonder if someone's got the definitive answer?

overall, this is a good movie. the scenery is very nice to look at, so out of this world. I found two mistakes. 1. both them speak with dialects. Then when one of the guy were talking to a local folksong singer, all of sudden, he started to talk in perfect mandarin which doesn't make sense. 2. At the end of the movie, the guy actually jumped into the water, and searched for the dead person's name among all those paper boats which seem to be fake. He could have just asked people about it.The markup artists are great. They were able to change those two young men into middle age men without any obvious fake decorations.I didn't think that it was necessary for those two characters to speak heavy dialects at all. If they are from the city, they should know how to speak the national language - Mandarin. It is so hard to understand those people, I had to read the English subtitles. I also like the ending which seems like a copy from Titanic. It was well done.That period of time was a tragic time. This movie could have a little more tear jerking moment, etc. It doesn't have any. And it also did not show us any dark side of the communist party, the craziness people get into.

I was really moved by the portrayal of the friendship of the Little Seamstress, Ma, and Luo, and how their lives were changed by their experience in the mountains in this brief span of time. The mountains were beautiful, the re-educators were not presented as monsters, and the acting, esp Xun Zho as Little Seamstress and Ye Liu as Ma was really good. Xun Zho reminded me of the young Gong Li in Red Sorghum. Most importantly, I rediscovered how lucky I am to be able to read and watch what I want when I want, and how I am almost obligated to take advantage of my freedom to read and watch movies.For me, the filming was never as strong as the better Asian movies but once the movie got going the filming became stronger as did the movie.The character of the harshness of the cultural revolution in China in the 60's was shown thru a politically soft-focus lens, but I did not mind this as there are more than enough Chinese movies that have leaned in the other direction, and for me, this was a movie about friendship and love in a political and cultural setting, not the other way around which matches my own personal preferences.