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Under the Hawthorn Tree
山楂树之恋
2010 113 min China 18+
★7.3
Drama, Romance
Director: Yimou Zhang
🎭 Based on
«Under the Hawthorn Tree»
byAi Mi
Trailers
Description
The daughter of a right-winger, schoolgirl Jing Qiu is sent to the countryside for reeducation, and tasked to help write a textbook. There she meets Lao San, a young soldier with a bright future ahead. Despite the class divide and parental disapproval, romance blooms against turbulent times.
Starring
Xuejian Li
Actor
Taishen Cheng
Actor
Dongyu Zhou
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2011
— Best Debut
Asian Film Academy 2011
— Best Film Editing
Key opinion
Under the Hawthorn Tree is widely praised as a poignant, sincere, and pure romantic drama that explores the resilience of innocent love amidst the oppressive constraints of the Cultural Revolution. While a minority of viewers criticize it for being overly sentimental or narratively simplistic, the majority view it as an emotionally resonant, soul-stirring work defined by its delicate performances and historical atmosphere.
| Acting | The leads, Zhou Dongyu and Shawn Dou, deliver authentic, sincere performances that anchor the film’s emotional core. | |
| Production | The film utilizes simple, symbolic objects like enamel basins and rubber boots to convey profound romantic intimacy. | |
| Theme | The narrative effectively juxtaposes the purity of the protagonists' bond against the harsh, restrictive atmosphere of the Cultural Revolution. | |
| Emotion | Opinions on the film's tone are polarized: supporters find the minimalist, naive approach a refreshing and moving emotional refuge, while detractors dismiss it as overly sugary and lacking the complexity of the director's earlier work. |