This is the story of Tietou, a boy born in Beijing in 1953. It follows him and his family through the turbulent times in China until Tietou is fifteen. The story plays against the political background of The Rectification Movement, The Great Leap Forward and the beginnings of The Cultural Revolution. The movie stays closely focused on the family and how it is affected by the political whims of the times. Lacking a knowledge of Chinese history I was often confused by what was happening to family members. The great strength of the movie in focusing on the relationship between Tietou and his mother, and their courage in facing hard times, was also for me a weakness, since I did not understand the political forces behind what was precipitating the events driving their lives. What seemed like safe behavior at one time was deemed as cause for arrest at others. This may have been one of the points being made, but I did not understand the underlying reasons.Another problem I had was reading the subtitles. If you are not a speed reader, they will often fly by faster than you can read. Many of them stayed on the screen for less than half a second (I counted the frames). Many times I found myself pausing the DVD so I could back it up to read the subtitles. These disruptions obviously diminished my enjoyment of the film.All that being said, the movie is nicely filmed with a pacing and score that are quite effective. Many scenes linger on everyday details and are punctuated with subtle music. The historical context that does filter through is of interest.If I spoke Chinese and knew more of the history of that country, I think I would have appreciated this film much more.

If this movie is banned in China and considered daring imagine what one told by an unsympathetic non communist would be like. For the fact is that all the characters in this film appear to be more or less kowtowing to the communists or aspiring party members themselves. One of the harshest things you hear is an old woman who wonders if there has been enough revolution. In fact it has the feel of a communist propaganda movie with eager smiling people who never complain. Various sources estimate that between 15 to 40 million people starved during the great leap forward...you would not get that impression from this film. I want to see what the real truth and tragedy were like. This is just a pale start.

This movie is great. It ends a bit abruptly but it is still a great movie. It sums up the way of life in China up until that part in a very poignant touching way without overdramatizing. I give it a ten. The sad part is that it was banned in china, only for telling the truth.

This brilliant film should be seen by anyone who appreciates great movie-making. Covering similar ground as 'Farewell, My Concubine', this time the story of China's political upheavals is told from the point of view of a simple family trying desperately to survive, as told from the point of view of the son. Lu Liping is amazing as the mother. A performance worthy of her contemporary Gong Li. Give me any of these performances over the theatrical machinations of a Meryl Streep or a Glenn Close any day. This is real acting at its finest. One warning: the ending will rip your heart out.