The Piano in a Factory

Sweet Chinese Confection
From time to time, an independent Chinese director creates a really sweet story - not a martial arts film nor a Chinese epic of the first or last emperor... but a lovely little story of actual Chinese life in a small town.

The film begins with a divorce of a couple. The wife splits with her husband because she can live "the easy life" with another man who makes a lot of money selling fake Chinese drugs. The husband makes a (very) modest income as the leader of a small music band. His instrument is the accordian.

His young daughter is asked to choose which of her parents she will select. Because she likes music, she exclaims that she will go with the parent who can provide her with a "piano.' And so begins the father's madcap race to provide a piano, even if it means creating one from scratch out of scrap metal. [I won't provide the ending, but there are some surprises]

My favorite scene was one where the musician asks the (quite attractive) female...

What do you do when everyone else abandons your values?
This film is great for two reasons.

First, the whole film is a fascinating parallel between the story of a man (Guilin) whose family is falling apart and a country whose communist system and ideology is falling apart. Guilin struggles to deal with both problems simultaneously. It's a touching and sympathetic picture of a man fighting for his traditional values in a world that has left them behind. Non-Chinese will have to pay special attention to the historical background of the film to understand the parallels in the plot, but the themes of the film transcend the particulars of the setting. Social values are changing all over the world, perhaps at a faster rate than ever before, and older generations frequently find themselves striving to live their values in a society that considers them outmoded. This film is a masterful exploration of that problem.

Second, this film is hilarious to both Chinese and American audiences.

Intriguing Concept!
I was privileged to have experienced this film. Such a fresh plot and incredible cinematography! Even with the movie being in Mandarin instead of English with subtitles the intention and action was clear. So many different levels that it captivated me from start to finish.

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