Palm Pictures presents a film directed by Ye Lou. Summer Palace was written by Ye Lou, Feng Mei, and Ma Yingli. This picture stars Lei Hao as Yu Hong in the lead role. Supporting roles are cast with Xiaodong Guo, Ling Hu, Xianmin Zhang, Long Duan, Lin Cui, and Xueyun Bai. Summer Palace runs 140 minutes and is not rated by the MPAA though the content would clearly receive an “R” rating from the board. None of the content seemed to be beyond that of the “R” rating.
Yu Hong, a pretty young woman from a small peasant town in rural China, is accepted into Beijing University in the late ‘80s. The next 18 or so years of her turbulent life unfold on screen as she struggles with her political, social, economic, and romantic situations.
Well-filmed and edited, Summer Palace was an official selection for the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
Summer Palace seems to be the story of a woman who just can’t decide what she wants to do. Yu Hong’s life is a mess. Beyond entering Beijing University, she does not seem to make any good choices. Her story, like that told in Forrest Gump and its portrayal of notable events in recent US history, follows the major social milestones in Eurasia following the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. While the film covers this unsettled timeframe, Yu Hong is more an observer than the participant that Forrest Gump was in his film.
I like going into a film knowing as little as possible. Prior to seeing Summer Palace I knew almost nothing of the story line. Hindsight, so it is said, is 20-20. At the end of my DVD screening, I thought to myself “What a mess.” Then I watched some of the bonus material and the metaphorical light bulb turned on.
I’m probably not as good as some in recognizing a “reflection of the current climate.” Also, I have to admit that I have not kept up on the last twenty or so years of change in China. However, given a hint or two I can see the allegory between how Yu Hong’s life unfolds as compared to the recent changes in China. Given that I required some hints from the bonus material to “get it”, I have to count the film not as effective as it might have been. The filmmakers should have devised a mechanism or technique in the storytelling to bring the allegory forward. Perhaps it was there and I missed having not lived through the times and events depicted.
Summer Palace, given the benefit of the bonus material, is better in hindsight than I initially thought. Should you recommend this film to your friends, give them the little bit of information that Yu Hong’s life is a parallel to the unfolding of recent events in China and they will have a better appreciation of this film.