BLUSH
(HONG FEN)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
China, 1994 U.S. Release Date: widely variable (limited) Running Length: 2:00 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes, sex) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Ji Wang, Zhiwen Wang, Caifei He Director: Shaohong Li Producer: Zhigu Cheng, Chen Kunming, Yi Liu, Jimmy Tan Screenplay: Ni Zhen and Shaohong Li based on the novel by Su Tong Cinematography: Nianping Zeng Music: Wenjing Guo U.S. Distributor: First Run Features In Chinese with subtitles
Many Chinese films exported during the past half-decade (or so) have shared a fondness for tragic melodrama. Titles such as JU DOU, RAISE THE RED LANTERN, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE, TEMPTATION OF A MONK, TO LIVE, and SHANGHAI TRIAD all end bleakly. This isn't necessarily a bad thing (in fact, some of the above movies are excellent), but it creates certain expectations when viewing a motion picture originating from Mainland China. To a large extent, BLUSH delivers what we anticipate, although the ending isn't as joyless as those of its many predecessors.
BLUSH takes us back to the Communist "Liberation" of 1949, when Chairman Mao stormed into power and swept away the decadent old ways. Landowners' property was seized for distribution, wealth was confiscated, and those holding unproductive jobs were placed into "rehabilitation centers" to learn how to become workers. Unlike many of the movies that came before it (such as TO LIVE and FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE), BLUSH doesn't have a cynical or negative perspective of the Liberation. Shaohong Li, directing from a script based on a book by Su Tong (who also wrote the novel RAISE THE RED LANTERN), views these events as historical facts that form the backdrop for a story, not an opportunity for a political statement. Her depiction of the revolution and its aftermath is evenhanded.
The film opens as the prostitutes from the Red Happiness Inn in Shanghai are being herded like sheep into a re-training center. In the group are the strong-willed Qiuyi (Ji Wang), who refuses to go quietly, and her meek friend, Xiao'e (Caifei He). During the inevitable confusion caused by detaining so many women, Qiuyi escapes, then makes her way to the house of a wealthy former customer, Lao Pu (Zhiwen Wang), who takes her in as his mistress. Eventually, Lao's mother complains, and a pregnant Qiuyi is forced to leave. She goes to a nearby convent for sanctuary. Meanwhile, after being properly re-educated, Xiao'e, now a loyal worker, begins to spend time with Lao Pu. Her goal isn't subtle -- she wants to marry him.
Despite the subtitles, scrupulously accurate period details, and strong acting, BLUSH is basically a cinematic soap opera. There are betrayals, attempted suicides, unplanned pregnancies, tearful confessions, and jealous suspicions. All of these things take place in the shadow of the central love triangle between Lao Pu; his true love, Qiuyi; and the woman he marries, Xiao'e. Disappointingly, however, many of the most important events are not shown, but are instead related via a voiceover narration. This fundamentally unsatisfying method of presentation undercuts the film's dramatic power. The ending is especially weak because a key aspect of the denouement is described, but never depicted.
BLUSH's primary message is that, to survive, people can adapt to any situation. Like social chameleons, Qiuyi and Xiao'e are constantly changing. Qiuyi is transformed from a glamorous prostitute to a pampered mistress to a Buddhist nun to a humbled mother. For Xiao'e, the final destination is the same, but, because she is less stubborn and more manipulative, her route is less turbulent.
Really, it's the historical context that makes this movie worthwhile, although primarily for those with interest in the era. There's nothing remarkable about the storyline, and the tear-jerking is only marginally successful. Nevertheless, the movie affords us another perspective of a period in modern Chinese history that has already received much film exposure. BLUSH is well-paced and moderately entertaining, but it lacks the depth which has characterized many other, recent exports from that part of the world. Sadly, this basic deficiency makes for a largely unmemorable motion picture.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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