Made immediately after the shoot for Not One Less (1999) had wrapped, The Road Home begins with a man’s monochrome-shot return from the city to his childhood village where his father has recently died. But what begins as a short trip becomes much more when he learns his mother has demanded a traditional burial for her beloved husband. She wants to have him carried by foot, honouring the belief that a body returned this way will never forget the road home. As Yusheng enlists the men needed to fulfil her wishes, the story of his parents’ love affair unfolds in stunning colour cinematography.

The Road Home is Zhang Yimou’s most simple, yet most touching film. Dripping in nostalgic longing, the central romance plays out across a painterly bucolic canvas. The film is a profoundly emotional viewing experience, and a showcase for breakout star Zhang Ziyi, in the first appearance in her and Zhang’s extraordinarily successful three-film partnership.

Our Screening on 14 August was introduced by Tony Rayns.

Cast:
Zhang Ziyi, Zheng Hao, Yulian Zhao