Together With You - out now
A departure from the gargantuan historical epics such as Farewell my Concubine and Temptress Moon for which director Chen Kaige made his name, Together With You is an unashamedly sentimental tale of love between father and son which faces strong, raw emotions like love and ambition head-on. Warning: invest in a large box of tissues before viewing.
The film centre on Liu Xiaochun (Tang Yun), a 13-year-old violin prodigy who lives in a provincial town with his father Liu Cheng (Liu Peiqi), a cook. Cheng is determined that his son’s talents not be wasted, and, stashing his meager savings in his red peasant hat, he travels with Xiaochun to Beijing for a competition which Cheng hopes will give the boy the big break he needs. As it happens, Xiaochun has no chance of winning, since the corrupt judges are swayed by contributions from rich parents, but, determined not to be defeated, Cheng persuades the eccentric professor Jiang (Wang Zhwen) to teach his son.
Jiang, a heartbroken recluse who lives in a hovel surrounded by stray cats and dirty laundry, teaches Xiaochun to play with his heart. Meanwhile Xiaochun teaches Jaing some self-respect and the two form a close bond. However Cheng soon feels it’s time to move his son onto a better teacher – the famous Yu Shifeng, played by director Chen Kaige himself.
Meanwhile Xiaochun befriends flashy party-girl with a heart Lili (Hong Chen – Chen Kaige’s wife in real life), who is engaged in a traumatic relationship with her rich and unfaithful boyfriend.
Without taking a moralistic tone, the film contrasts the warmth of old Beijing with the modern world of ambition and success. Whereas Professor Jiang lives in a crowded quarter where neighbours greet each other and engage in gossip, Professor Yu resides in a soulless westernised apartment complex.
Whilst Chen Kaige is unafraid of setting the viewer’s hearstrings violently aquiver, he does it with so much grace and poise you cannot help empathising with the main protagonists. This crowd-pleasing drama is a rich testament to paternal love.
