Director Chen Kaige's award-winning Together (He Ni Zai Yi Qi) is reportedly more successful commercially than his previous films, such as Farewell to My Concubine and The Assassin.
The storyline centers on Liu Xiaochun, a teenage violin prodigy from the countryside who is torn between art and chasing after wealth in Beijing.
For Together, Chen, who won the best director award together with Yang Yazhou for Pretty Big Feet at the 22nd Golden Rooster Film Awards for this film, rallied a powerful cast -- including veteran actors Liu Peiqi and Wang Zhiwen, who delivered superb performances.
The film appears on the surface to be a tender, heart-warmer brimming with humanity and humour; but it could also be interpreted as a subtle socio-political critique of rapidly changing, contemporary China.
The characters are more thought-provoking than interesting and amusing.
Violin professor Yu, played by Chen, creates a cut-throat environment for his students, in which they are pitted against each other and the music is more about privilege than art.
Lili, a barfly played by Chen's wife, Chen Hong, is influenced by Western consumerism; she spends all her disposable cash on designer clothes -- a lifestyle she finances through her love affairs.
Liu's role as Liu Cheng epitomizes a Chinese father who has weathered many hardships while living in obscurity, therefore he pushes his children to seek fame and fortune.
Wang portrays an eccentric violin teacher fighting social injustice. He is the voice of reason: Love music for its own sake, not to achieve utilitarian ends.
Tang Yun plays a rebellious -- but not too much -- teenager who did not surrender his ability to choose the direction of his future.
With strong cinematography and compositions, South Korean cinematographer Kim Hyungkoo creates an image fest.
Zhao Lin's score mingles subtle Chinese music with Western classical tunes that touch viewers' hearts.
But occasionally there is too much music, taking away from the film's emotional intensity.
(China Daily October 25, 2002)
