1001 Movies to See Before You Die: The Crumbling Walls of Spring in a Small Town

Spring in a Small Town is my first encounter with a Chinese movie, at least, a classic Chinese movie. It is included on the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list, which is how I first discovered it. I found it to be beautiful and poetic, and I was entranced by its lead actress, Wei Wei.

Spring in a Small Town Summary

It is 1948, and we meet Yuwen (actress Wei Wei) as she walks along a path, her lyrical voiceover telling us about the dismal nature of her life. It seems recent wartimes have brought her marriage into ruin. Her husband, Liyan (actor Shi Yu), is depressed by the ruin the Japanese bombing of his estate caused, and he doesn’t have the means to restore his estate. He spends most of his time in the garden as his marriage decays.

Enter someone from the past, his old childhood friend Zhang Li (actor Li Wei). He is handsome, stylish, a savvy physician, and oh… he and Yuwen have a history.

Actress Wei Wei Shines

I love the performance of Wei Wei in this film. Her narration evokes a lyrical quality. As her past romance with Zhang Li bubbles to the surface amidst the gorgeous backdrop of Liyan’s ruined estate, we are given stunning imagery of what it means to have a dream laid waste, and how to restore that dream (in unexpected ways).

If you are interested in the history of Chinese movies, especially in classical Chinese film, I highly recommend Spring in a Small Town.

You can find Spring in a Small Town streaming on Amazon Prime for free. It is one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die selections.

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