This film (the title could be translated as "The March of the Youth") is a good example for the series of "leftist dramas" produced in China in the years 1935-45. Some class conflicts, typically between rich and poor, are exposed, leading to some tragedy (typically someone important dies), and the end is usually that the hero and others join the Communist-led troops in the "liberated areas" in the Northeast, who fought war against both the Japanese occupation and the Kuomintang government.
The hero in this instance is a student from a well-to-do silk industry family. He and his friends observe grain transports, in order to prove black-marketing which leads to high retail prices. In this process, one of them is shot. On his deathbed he entrusts our hero to care for, and possibly love, a worker girl.
The hero debates the black market issue with his father several times, and invites him to a theater play the students give, in which these dialogs are rehashed. His father promises not to involve himself in black marketing. The hero also builds a romantic relationship with the girl, but that meets strong resistance in his family. He is arranged to travel with an acquaintance rich girl to Shanghai "for fun" (and business), while "his" girl is fired at work in the silk factory, and ordered to leave the little house she lives in with her younger sister. And much more... watch it yourself :^)
I liked the younger sister - she was more realistic, of life-like complexity, than many other stereotype very-good or very-bad roles. For a memorable scene, the student play and especially the takes of the audience. In general, even though clichéd, this movie is interesting material about China in the 1930s. See also "Fengyun ernü" with somehow similar structure.
The hero in this instance is a student from a well-to-do silk industry family. He and his friends observe grain transports, in order to prove black-marketing which leads to high retail prices. In this process, one of them is shot. On his deathbed he entrusts our hero to care for, and possibly love, a worker girl.
The hero debates the black market issue with his father several times, and invites him to a theater play the students give, in which these dialogs are rehashed. His father promises not to involve himself in black marketing. The hero also builds a romantic relationship with the girl, but that meets strong resistance in his family. He is arranged to travel with an acquaintance rich girl to Shanghai "for fun" (and business), while "his" girl is fired at work in the silk factory, and ordered to leave the little house she lives in with her younger sister. And much more... watch it yourself :^)
I liked the younger sister - she was more realistic, of life-like complexity, than many other stereotype very-good or very-bad roles. For a memorable scene, the student play and especially the takes of the audience. In general, even though clichéd, this movie is interesting material about China in the 1930s. See also "Fengyun ernü" with somehow similar structure.
