Entertainment Review

Vol. 3

A Chinese Film

「Life on A String」

A Chen Kaige Film

This is a great fantasy film in China.

The era and the place in this film are unknown. The A blind old man and his young blind student are traveling while they are performing their guitar. One day, they meet a girl in a village and the young blind man falls in love with the girl. It causes the distance between the old man and the young man. And finally each of them face despairs of the life.

The old man was told that he will find the prescription for his blind eyes when he cuts 1000 strings by playing the guitar by his mater when he was a child. He believes it and he spends 60 year to cut the strings. He takes out the prescription from the guitar and brings it to a pharmacy and then, he is told that the prescription is nothing written. His dream are broken and he knows the despair of his life.

The young couple collapse when the girl's father finds they are loving each other. A girl commits suicide. The young man, like the old man, knows the despair when he can stop her suicide in front of him. The girl doesn't know despair. She just kill herself by following her emotion. She brings a despair for the young man.

It is really heavy drama.
If it is not a fantasy, it makes the audience tired of seeing this film.
Chen Kaige, the director of this film, makes it easy to see by shooting beautiful images and shows a beautiful sad love between the young man and the girl.

It is difficult to say how this film is beautiful and sad in words.
If you are interested in Asian culture and thoughts, you better see this film.