Thunderstorm Mandarin
Director: Sun Daolin
Cast : Gu Yongfei, Ma Xiaowei, Zhang Yu, Qin Yi
Era: 1984
Duration : 95 minutes
Highlights:
Family Incest
Repression
Republic of China Era
Adults
Character Relationship Chart
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(big)Review
This film is adapted from the play of the same name by writer Cao Yu. It has been adapted for the screen many times and remains active on the stage of drama to this day.
From the very beginning, it seems that the thunderstorm was destined to be a tragedy. However, the cause of the tragedy is the male protagonist: Zhou Puyuan, the eldest son of the Yuanxi residence. Like many Chinese tragedies, a charming young man falls for his maid, and such a union has never ended well since ancient times. If that man had been loyal and devoted, at worst they would have eloped, left their parents, and fled to become a tragic couple. But the persistent heroine, Shiping, suffered even more. Although Zhou Puyuan, this charming young master, was moved by her youthful beauty and gentleness, how could his heart that only loved itself stay with her for life? He ultimately gave up Shiping for his own future. The lonely Shiping left heartbrokenly with her ailing second son, and thus the story ended just like that. But fate played tricks on them, and fate once again entangled them. The tangled relationships unfolded again, becoming a complete mess, ultimately leading to the love between siblings who shared the same mother but different fathers. As their mother, Shiping could only accept the cruelty of fate and blame the fate she brought to her child. It seemed everything was about to end, but the once charming young man Zhou Puyuan revealed under a misunderstanding that they were siblings with the same mother but different fathers. This incident caused the deaths of three people...... How can such a heartbreaking life not be heartbreaking? Stories like this have been repeated throughout history, with many victims in similar tales. I believe this is not just a simple story; the real social situation should be the prototype for the story. This is closely tied to the moral standards and ideological concepts of the people at the time.In today's society, with changes in people's thinking, women have become strong and brave, never silently oppressed by fate, and will inevitably resist. Besides the advancement of technology, the progress of humanistic thought is also a major symbol of the era's progress. People often, after learning about past misfortunes, secretly feel grateful that they live in such a wonderful era.\However, I should not only be thankful for the happiness that the new era and New China have given us, but also more grateful to the era for giving us awareness. Without the past misery, how could there be the sweetness of present happiness?\A play like "Thunderstorm" is like the decaying old China, sinking in a dark realm. The final flash of lightning tears open the sky, bringing sharp light, ending the pale life, marking the end of tragedy, and shocking the souls of the people.\The study, which never sees light all year round, leads to a small living room resembling a "prison". Everything is as strange as a thriller movie, displaying the sinister environment here.\Zhou Puyuan, with a face as thin as dead wood, speaks about morality slowly and deliberately, sternly and coldly rebukes his wife, and treats his former lovers with alternating warmth and coldness. Even the thickest lenses cannot withstand that eternally cold gaze.\Fanyi, the elegant Fanyi, gently sways a round fan as she descends the stairs gracefully; the weak and helpless Fanyi, trembling as she drinks the medicine, with the broken medicine bowl symbolizing her broken heart; the hysterical Fanyi, with resentful eyes, desolate laughter, and trembling hands. She participates in the creation of tragedy and bears the pain of tragedy.\Shiping, in plain clothes, gently closes the window, lowers her head, and brushes back her hair.\Such a Shiping, anyone would be moved by her, right?\The scene shifts 30 years later, Lu Ma, with a kind face, looks at her youthful and lively daughter with a gratified smile, but her face turns pale at the sight of her own photo. In the following time, she encounters her first love she hasn't forgotten in 30 years, only to experience heart-wrenching pain; she sees her beloved son, yet cannot recognize him even when he is right in front of her; she watches as brothers fight violently, feeling regret and sorrow but powerless to stop them; when she discovers the perverse relationship of her children, at that moment, she truly collapses.\Zhou Ping and Sifeng, a talented man and a beautiful woman, love each other so sincerely, yet heaven cruelly plays a joke on them.Two young people in the prime of life ended their own lives on that stormy night, amidst shock, regret, helplessness, and resentment, leaving only the tearful faces of their white-haired parents behind.
Zhou Chong. Wearing a white shirt, with a bag slung across his shoulder, his face full of innocence. He was only 17, still a child. \ In the whole story, if Si Feng is a gentle flower amidst the coldness of the world, then Zhou Chong should be a ray of light in the darkness. He was young, with a somewhat childish way of speaking and acting; \ he was pure, untouched by the poison of feudalism, encouraging Si Feng to study, and enjoying interacting with workers; \ he was tolerant, giving up his own feelings knowing his brother loved Si Feng; \ in the end, he even sacrificed his young life to save Si Feng. \ If the tragedies of others were deserved, then what wrong did Zhou Chong ever commit?
How do we measure right and wrong?
How do we prove truth and falsehood?
How do we exchange life and death?
How do we repay love and hatred?
It was just a youthful love dream; after 30 years of waiting, why did it end in such a tragedy?
Late at night, when everything is quiet, as if in another world, who remembers that unforgettable period?
Who would willingly remember that heart-wrenching pain?
In a sinful land, who is whose salvation?
In a tumultuous world, who is whose pillar of support?
There is no savior in the world; everything relies on ourselves. We cannot completely avoid the pollution of toxins, but we must try to keep our hearts clean. Facing the light, we can sweep away the sins in our hearts; facing the darkness, only ruin awaits, ultimately falling into hell, a single misstep causing eternal regret.
We are tiny isolated islands on a dangerous sea; only by facing the sunlight can we avoid being submerged.
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