Instant masterpiece

From the slow opening panning shot of passengers on a ferry which in itself is a microcosm of current Chinese society one knows one is in for something special. And so it proves- an involving gentle tale of two people seeking their lost spouses for different reasons & with different outcomes. Set in 5 chapters the middle of which deals with the second protagonist each are labelled as the current 'feelgood' products of the new Chinese regime which although ostensibly Communist is in practice anything but. Set in the breathtaking Three Gorges area where a historic town is being demolished to make way for a giant dam the film uses elements of SF, fantasy & fairly blatant symbolism (the 'new' & the 'old' town on opposite banks of the river- one old,ugly & crumbling & the other modern & equally ugly).

The tenor of the piece is hardly Chinese- as many commentators have pointed out it owes more to the Italian 'new-wave' & honestly reminded me a lot of the early 60's Antonioni.

Points to mention- there is NO sex, minimal violence, it is slow moving & is subtitled. So if you're after 'Iron-Man 2' stay well away.