A film debut of Zhang Ziyi, The Road Home made her well-known since then. Directed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad), at the start of this film from a young man returns to his native village after the death of his father, the village's schoolteacher, who died while trying to raise money for a new schoolhouse. His body is in a neighboring town; the young man's mother insists that it be brought back on foot, lest his spirit not find his way home. From this starting point, the young man recounts the tale of his parents' courtship, which involved a red banner, mushroom dumplings, a colorful barrette, and a broken bowl.
DVD, 110 minutes, Mandarin Chinese, with Chinese and English subtitles.
