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Before we talk about that, however, you need to have some sense of the story. Xiu Xiu (LuLu) is a young teenager who finds herself swept from her family on the tide of the Cultural Revolution. She ends up in the middle of nowhere, sharing a small tent with a horseman named Lao Jin. She is to learn about horses so she can help form the new All-Girl's Cavalry. Lao Jin, portryed with quiet brilliance by Lopsang, has lived on the plains for most of his life. He was emasculated during a war, so one could argue that his passive nature is a reflection of this. At first, Xiu Xiu is afraid of him, but he proves be kind and patient with her. The two become friends of a sort, although the limits of this friendship are continually tested by Xiu Xiu, who is by most accounts a spoiled brat. Not long into the movie, it becomes apparent that there is no "All-Girl's Cavalry," nor is anyone coming to take Xiu Xiu back to civilization. However, she soon meets a young man who promises her a pass home if she will provide him with favors of her own. Xiu Xiu has sex with him, all the while uncertain of what is going on, but sure he will take her home. He, of course, disappears. A series of men visit Xiu Xiu's tent, all promising her a ticket home. We watch, angry and saddened, as she sells her innocence to a bunch of fat, cruel men. The sex scenes become more explicit, more violent, and yet Xiu Xiu goes on believing she will soon be back home. Lao Jin also watches on, his anger becoming more and more apparent, until one night he finally tells her the truth: She is a whore, and those men are using her. She treats him, in return, with contempt and spite. Inevitably, Xiu Xiu becomes pregnant, and is forced to return to the Communist headquarters for an abortion. Even in the hospital, where she is too weak to resist, men take advantage of her. No one offers any real help, and Xiu Xiu and Lao Jin return to their tent. In the end, Xiu Xiu asks Lao Jin to help her in a way I will not reveal here, and he does. The ending is bleakly depressing, as it should be. This is movie meant to show the destruction of innocence. It does that remarkably well. Both LuLu and Lopsang's performances are amazing and heart-wrenching, but I feel that Lopsang really steals the show. The direction is wonderful, with enough artistic touches that they enhance the story without detracting from it. It is the story, and the characters that inhabit it though that make this movie so special. Xiu Xiu and Lao Jin are real people, and we sympathize with them even when they anger us. This is a powerful and provocative film, and I urge you to find a copy. |