China Cry (DVD)

...because of my interest in China (I lived there for many years), I thought it was probably worth a watch. I have seen many films about China's turbulent history in my lifetime; most censured by the Chinese government, although also a selection of films that have been broadcast outside of China. This particular film is nothing out of the ordinary in that it shows one family's suffering (and it is based on a true story) - sad though it is, it has been ...
...the course with films about China during this period and anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the period should be aware that it isn't going to be pretty. The story is based on a book by Nora Lam (Sung Neng Yee's married name) and although I'm sure a certain amount of artistic licence has been employed, the story that she tells is so typical of many others that I have heard that I am sure it is largely true.

One of the ... more

Sung Neng Yee starts off life with a silver spoon in her mouth; her father is a wealthy doctor and is able to provide her with everything she could ever want. Then the Japanese invade Shanghai in 1941 and the family are forced to move out of their lovely home into cramped accommodation. By the time Neng Yee is at University, the Communists have come into power and life seems rosy once again, especially when she meets her husband-to-be, Lam Cheng-Sen and she falls pregnant. However, the Communist authorities question the Sung family's affiliation to Christianity and her husband's links to Hong Kong and force them to undergo endless interrogations. Will the family ever be free of their Communist punishers?

I have never heard of this film before I picked it up for a couple of quid from a bargain basket, but because of my interest in China (I lived there for many years), I thought it was probably worth a watch. I have seen many films about China's turbulent history in my lifetime; most censured by the Chinese government, although also a selection of films that have been broadcast outside of China. This particular film is nothing out of the ordinary in that it shows one family's suffering (and it is based on a true story) - sad though it is, it has been done time and time again showing varying degrees of suffering. However, it is still an interesting insight into a time that many Chinese people can still remember all too clearly.

Julia Nickson Soul stars as Sung Neng Yee. Although not an actress that I have heard of before, she does a pretty good job as a woman whose inner strength is the only thing that gets her family through the horror that they are to face. There are times when she is playing her younger self when her acting is a little wooden, but this is a very small part of the film and can be forgiven. She really comes into her own when she is being mentally tortured into confessing that she is a Christian - her fear and concern for her family is palpable and I ached for her.

I was less impressed by Russell Wong who plays Lam Cheng-Sen. I suspect he was chosen for his looks rather than his acting skills - he certainly looks good, but doesn't really add much to the film. James Shigeta, who plays Neng Yee's father, gives a good performance - again, he comes to the fore when he is being bullied - despite being a doctor, he is forced to scrub the toilet floors in the hospital he used to work in. It is unfortunate that he doesn't play a larger role in the film. Philip Tan is suitably nasty as the Colonel that forces self confessions out of Neng Yee, but again, doesn't have a large enough role to really make an impact.

This is a film about violated human rights and obviously is not always pleasant to watch. There is one scene where Neng Yee is in front of a firing squad and another where she is forced to carry heavy stones while heavily pregnant - both were very distressing, all the more so because I knew it was very close to reality. However, this is par for the course with films about China during this period and anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the period should be aware that it isn't going to be pretty. The story is based on a book by Nora Lam (Sung Neng Yee's married name) and although I'm sure a certain amount of artistic licence has been employed, the story that she tells is so typical of many others that I have heard that I am sure it is largely true.

One of the most off-putting things about the film for me was that the actors spoke in English. This is almost certainly a personal thing, but I have seen so many similar films in Chinese that it seemed odd to hear English, moreover English with generally American accents and I would much rather have watched it in Chinese. However, I realise that this is a personal thing and that most English speakers will prefer it as it is.

There is a Christian slant to the film. The Sungs sent their daughter to a Christian school and Neng Yee does believe in God, although as the film shows, she is not able to voice her thoughts. However, anyone who dislikes religion in their films shouldn't be put off - it really is a very small part of the film.

On the whole, this isn't a bad film. It just isn't a very good one either, and was obviously made on a budget. For anyone really interested in China's post-1949 history, there are much better films out there, provided you don't mind subtitles - Blue Kite, Farewell My Concubine, Huo Zhe (To Live) and Hibiscus Town to name but a few. Then there are the books - Wild Swans by Jung Chang, Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng and Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah... However, if you want to watch a reasonable film without subtitles about modern China, then you can't go far wrong with this. Recommended.

The DVD is available from play.com for £2.99.

Classification: 15

Running time: 101 minutes 

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