“Song of Spring” Movie Review

 

“Song of Spring”

Movie Review

 

Yang Lina wrote and directed the Chinese drama film Song of Spring, which stars Wu Yanshu and Xi Meijuan. The film's plot revolves around an 85-year-old mother who is caring for her 65-year-old daughter who has Alzheimer's disease. Yang Lina's Song of Spring is the third book in a trilogy about women's lives. It follows Longing for the Rain, which examined sexuality issues in a younger woman, and Spring Tide, which examined a somewhat toxic relationship between a middle-aged woman and her mother.

This Hangzhou-set film jumps ahead in time to examine the relationship between 65-year-old Professor Feng Jizhen [Xi Meijuan] and her mother, the 85-year-old but vivacious Jiang Yuzhi [Wu Yanshu]. Feng stays active by volunteering in a nursing home and is a bit OCD. The mother is slightly hypochondriac but otherwise appears to be in good physical and mental health.

In fact, it is the daughter who first exhibits symptoms of forgetfulness, and she is quickly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

She goes about organizing her finances and searching for a nursing home for her mother. Of course, she doesn't tell her mother what's going on. Surprisingly, once she discovers, the mother finds new meaning in the challenge of caring for her daughter. Meanwhile, as the disease progresses, Feng's behavior becomes increasingly difficult.

When the police take a young pickpocket and thief Zhou Xia [Wen Qi] to her home after stealing Feng's purse, an unlikely side story emerges. However, this subplot never develops convincingly, and the purpose of introducing the character is unclear.

The film captures the quiet relationship between a mother and her daughter, but it moves at a glacial pace. It is also overly optimistic. The couple lives in a luxurious home, and the nursing home she finds for her mother must be among the best in the country; medical assistance is available on call, and we see frequent shots of lush parks and gardens. And, like the visuals, the characters are all unfailingly nice.

This is just the latest in a long line of films about Alzheimer's disease. However, if the trend is accurate, the film is not. This, like the promotional posters, is a horrifyingly cute depiction of decline. After the previous films, this was a huge letdown. The final titles of real patients are more moving than the entire film.

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