Hubby and I watched a moving foreign film this week, “The Road Home”. It’s actually in Chinese, so we had to watch carefully around the kids, so we could read the subtitles.
The story begins with businessman Luo Yusheng (Sun Honglei) returning to his native village of Sanhetun following the death of his schoolteacher father, Luo Changyu. His father's body lies unclaimed in the hospital morgue of a nearby city, and his mother Zhao Di (Zhao Yuelin) insists that he be carried home on foot by the men of the village, as per tradition. Unfortunately, despite Changyu being a revered member of the community, having taught generations of children in the local schoolhouse, the village lacks sufficient manpower for such a procession, since most of the young people have left to work in the cities.
What then follows is an account of how Luo's mother and father met back in 1958, when an 18-year old Zhao Di (Zhang Ziyi) found herself enamored with the town's new schoolteacher, Changyu (Hao Zheng). Determined to get to know Changyu better, Di goes out of her way to cross paths with the handsome teacher, or at least to hear the sound of his voice instructing the town's children. From going out of her way to use the town's old well (which overlooks the school house) to slaving hours on end in the kitchen preparing dumplings for him, it is clear that Di's feelings for Changyu are as genuine as they are unmistakable.
Unfortunately, just as it seems that Di and Changyu are beginning to hit it off, Changyu is recalled to the city as part of a political investigation. In what is probably one of the film's most heart-wrenching moments, Di tries to catch up with Changyu on foot in order to give him some dumplings for the long trip to the city. Unfortunately, she stumbles along the way and the audience shares her crushing heartbreak.
Though the one true love of her life may be gone, Di's hope and resolve are not, and she devotes all her energies to being reunited with Changyu. And in the course of recounting this story, it becomes very evident, to both Luo and the audience, why the aged Di feels so strongly about having her late husband carried back on the road home-- a road that played a pivotal role in their love affair.
Supported by the warm cinematography of Yong Hou and San Bao's evocative score (both of whom worked on Zhang Yimou's "Not One Less"), Zhang Yimou has fashioned raw emotion and a simple narrative into a deeply heartfelt masterpiece. Of all the films released so far this year, "The Road Home" is probably the most moving I have ever seen. Though the central romance is rather simple, and told in a decidedly one-sided manner through Di's eyes, Zhang Yimou gives the story an irresistible emotional pull with his lyrical execution of the material, which is based on Shi Bao's novel "Remembrance". Though Di and Changyu share very few scenes together, and exchange even fewer words, the connection between these two people is undeniable. As we witness the blossoming love affair through Di's eyes and her naive yet earnest actions, a series of indelible images eloquently convey Di's unshakable devotion. From her initial furtive glances towards the schoolhouse while fetching water, to her lonely roadside vigil amidst a snowstorm while anxiously awaiting Changyu's return, this is a love story told in its simplest terms, untainted by the blight of cynicism. This momentum carries on through right until the film's final reel, where past and present collide in a poignant yet inspiring upswell of emotion as Changyu is finally brought home and laid to rest in the village.
I was taken by the extent that Di took to get Changyu to notice her – the way that she had to “market herself.” They actually fell in love the moment their eyes met the first time, but in a culture where arranged marriage was the norm, and where women were not allowed to do many many things, Di had to get Changyu to notice HER.
So she changed her routine, going to the “old well” instead of the closer new one, so that she’d have to pass the schoolhouse. She wore bright clothing, instead of the drab things that the rest of the women wore. She followed him as he walked the children home. He did notice her, and they did finally get to meet. It was marketing at its finest – and for the highest reason of all – true love.
In the end, there was no lack of manpower. Changyu’s students, upon hearing of his death, showed up in droves. In forty years of teaching, he had endeared many, and when they were needed, they showed up. “Dig Your Well Before You Need It”, is a phrase that comes to mind.
It also reminds me of how un-resourceful we often are, how we have real resources at hand, but we are just unaware of them. Sometimes, we just need to re-organize our thinking, go ahead and do what we want to do, and then the universe will find a way to fill the gaps.
An example that comes to mind is my sofa. I currently have a futon that I am using in my living room. I’ve appended it with cushions from the old sofa, and big pillows, but it’s still very uncomfortable to sit on for any length of time. We’ve had it for two years now, and it was the worst investment I’ve ever made.
So, I looked around and found a great sofa at a consignment shop, one that I can afford, and will be getting it in a few days. I don’t have a vehicle big enough to move it – but do you think that’s going to stop me? It would stop my mother – she doesn’t do ANYTHING if she doesn’t know exactly how all the pieces fit together first.
I don’t have that luxury – my old sofa arrangement is not tolerable anymore. I will either find somebody with a vehicle to assist me, or perhaps I’ll rent a flatbed trailer and have my sister haul it for me – I’ll find a way.
The moral of the story is that we can’t be content doing what other people tell us to do – or tell us to NOT do if we KNOW that we know how to get it done, even if we don’t have ALL the pieces together. Do follow your gut if you know it’s right. The universe is more likely to help me get transportation than it is to “magically” fix my old sofa, and I know this from experience.
Yes, you do have to do your research, especially when it’s money, or the life of livestock, on the line. Do your due diligence. Then make a choice. It’s your life, you’re the one who has to answer for it, and you’re the one who knows what your gut tells you.
Patricia Reszetylo
EquineTeleseminar.net
