Genre: Drama/Documentary
Director: Ng Khee Jin
Cast: Elly Zhen Ying
RunTime: 1 hr 26 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: PG
Official Website: www.feetunbound.com
Opening Day: 17 April 2008 (Exclusively at
The Picturehouse)
Synopsis:
A young woman retraces the footsteps of China's female soldiers
of The Long March and encounters untold stories of courage
and hope in the face of extreme deprivation and brutality.
This is the never-been-told story of the Chinese Red Army's
teenage female soldiers of The Long March - a massive military
retreat of over 200,000 troops on foot over 12,500 kilometres
that lasted from 1934 to 1937. Only one per cent or 2,000
troops on the March were females. Most of them were teenagers
fleeing poverty, cruelty and general discrimination against
females. Some also had bound feet, a thousand-year-old tradition
which was still a custom at the time.
Movie Review:
We are often so caught up with the hustle and bustle of things
that we ignore the issues that are close to heart. While scurrying
to get to work on time, rushing to meet deadlines and furiously
comparing how much more your colleagues earn for doing so
much less, have you stopped for a moment to reflect on your
own identity? Have you stopped for a moment to wonder how
people from the past have upheld their own individual characters
to become who they are today? Have you stopped for a moment
to realize how history has played a part in shaping today’s
state of things, from both macro and micro perspectives?
This
docu-drama directed by Singapore-born and Australia-based
Ng Khee Jin scores high in sincerity because it infuses history
and drama nicely into a warmly earnest work that shines in
all aspects.
The
89-minute feature follows a Mainland Chinese 28 year-old reporter
who goes on a journey tracing the route taken by the Fourth
Front Army (later the Western Route Army), one of three groups
whose movements comprised the Long March, the Chinese Red
Army's legendary mobilization against the Nationalists during
1934-37. She learns about the minority of poor women who made
the grueling trip with thousands of other male soldiers. She
learns about the hardships faced by these women in the past,
and understands how her modern life parallels that of the
women.
The
polished and smooth comparisons between the lives both past
and present will touch the coldest of hearts. The resounding
impact of how people led their lives in the past despite the
hardships is both affective and effective, and may just make
you reflect about your place in the big picture of things.
It
helps that the protagonist is an engaging character, telling
you stories that are charmingly interesting. As the Chinese
girl talks to the camera in her surprisingly good English
about how she changed her name to “Elly”, how
she gets frustrated in her course of work pursuing objectivity,
and how she is match-made in the most amusing manner, you
smile as if you are listening to a friend whom you have not
met in a long time.
Then
there are interviewees. The old women featured talk about
their stories freely as the camera zooms occasionally in on
their wrinkles, their pride in overcoming the immense difficulties
become more than evident. Their endurance and determination
proves to be more than inspiring for today’s spoilt
generation. In a nutshell, these ladies are the gems of this
well-produced feature. You’d want to learn some life
lessons from them.
Shot
on location in Beijing, Jiangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Gansu,
Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces, the route covered is an astounding
5000km by five main crew members in a creaky Mitsubishi Pajero.
The result is a breathtaking docu-drama which features the
scenic and picturesque landscapes of China which makes you
appreciate nature the way it was meant to be. This synergy
between nature and mankind has always been meant to be a part,
not apart. Couple the sweeping countryside visuals with a
heartbreaking string score composed by Kelly Tang and performed
by the local T’ang Quartet, be prepared to see life
in a totally more enlightening manner.
Movie Rating:
(An
honest and genuine docu-drama which deserves a place in every
film lover’s heart)
Review by John Li
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