Raising a Thorny issue

A Chinese love story - no sex, little talk and a whole lot of heartache

《山楂樹之戀》號稱史上最干凈的愛情故事，如果它讓你忍不住落淚，不要去問為什么，因為一切盡在不言中。

The Chinese have a saying: 一切盡在不言中 (yíqiè jìn zài bù yán zhōng). The closest English translation is "silence is golden" but that doesn't really capture its implicit intimacy. Zhang Yimou's latest film, Under the Hawthorn Tree (《山楂樹之戀》Shānzhāshù Zhī Liàn) tries its very best to do so.

In this film, a muted palette and sparse dialogue were used to pay homage to the love between "young intellectuals" (知青 zhīqīng) toward the end of "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Jingqiu, a delicate dewdrop of a girl whose father is a "rightist", goes to be re-educated in a village homestay and falls in love at first sight with Laosan, a dashing member of a geology unit. But their love is forbidden yet because of Jingqiu's status: building a record

(檔案 dàng'àn) beyond reproach and earning a full-time teaching job. Any misstep, even being seen with a boy, could jeopardize her future.

(Jingqiu's) mother: You promised me you'd behave well. The decision about your job as a teacher will be made soon. Many people are jealous. If there are problems at this critical moment, your career will be ruined, and your whole life too. It'll be on your record forever!

Ní dāyìng wǒ yào hǎohāor biǎoxiàn. Nǐ zài xuéxiào dǐngzhí de shìr kuài yào dìng le. Zhōuwéi hěnduō rén yǎnhóng ne. Yào guānjiàn shíkè chūle wèntí, biéshuō liúxiào, yóngyuǎn huì tái bù qǐ tóu lai. Dàng'àn huì gēn nǐ yíbèizi de.

你答應我要好好兒表現。你在學校頂職的事兒快要定了。周圍很多人眼紅呢。要關鍵時刻出了問題，別說留校，永遠會抬不起頭來。檔案會跟你一輩子的。

And so, Laosan patiently waits … and waits … and waits. Little is said and done. The romance unfolds with a walk along a river, an interrupted bike ride and a stolen night together. The story lives up to its "clean" reputation. Much strife comes from her thinking Laosan has bailed after "having his way with her".

Jingqiu: Will I get pregnant too?

Nà wǒ huìbuhuì huáiyùn?

那我會不會懷孕？

Weihong (a girl friend of Jingqiu): Didn't you let him succeed? Did you let him succeed or not? Tell me what happened that night. In detail.

Nǐ búshì ràng tā déshǒu le ma? Nǐ dàodǐ yǒu méiyǒu ràng tā déshǒu? Nǐ gěi wǒ shuō diǎnr jùtí qíngkuàng. Xiángxì diǎnr shuō.

你不是讓他得手了嗎？你到底有沒有讓他得手？你給我說點兒具體情況。詳細點兒說。

(Jingqiu whispers)

Weihong: That's it? Just holding hands? Did you get naked?

Jiù zhèxiē? Jiù shǒu lā shǒu? Méi tuō yīfu?

就這些？就手拉手？沒脫衣服？

Jingqiu: No.

Méiyǒu.

沒有。

This kind of sexual ignorance may seem unfathomable now, but elderly Chinese who lived through those days say, "That's just the way we were." After discovering the relationship, mother tests Jingqiu's virginity by running a finger down her nose.

Jingqiu: Mom, why were you touching my nose?

Mā, nín mō wǒ bízi gàn shénme?

媽，您摸我鼻子干什么？

Mother: Something I learned from your grandma, to check if you're still the same.

Wǒ gēn nǐ náinai xué de. Kànkan shìbushì yuánlái de nǐ.

我跟你奶奶學的。看看是不是原來的你。

Pervasive socio-political pressures shape the lovers' lives, but Zhang steers clear of stark pain. Instead, he focuses on the simplicity of love and the couple's placid happy moments.

Laosan: Let's wash your feet. Let me show you a magic trick. Close your eyes.

Lái, pàojiǎo ba. Wǒ gěi nǐ biàn ge móshù ba. Bì shàng yǎnjīng.

來，泡腳吧。我給你變個魔術吧。閉上眼睛。

(He pulls out a new basin painted with hawthorn berries from under the plain basin)

Jingqiu: How'd you do that?

Ai, nǐ zěnme biàn de?

哎，你怎么變的？

Laosan: I knew you'd like it.

Wǒ jiù zhīdào nǐ xǐhuan.

我就知道你喜歡。

Jingqiu: I'm so happy to know you.

Rènshi nǐ zhēn hǎo.

認識你真好。

As the characters cope with forces beyond their control, they repeat this mantra: "One day the policies may change."

Laosan: Maybe political policies will change.

Shuōbudìng nǎtiān zhèngcè jiù biàn le.

說不定哪天政策就變了。

Jingqiu: What if I still can't be with you when I'm 25?

Yàoshì dàole èrshíwǔ suì yě bùxíng ne?

要是到了二十五歲也不行呢？

Laosan: Then I'll wait for you my whole life.

Nà wǒ jiù děng nǐ yíbèizi.

那我就等你一輩子。

While Jingqiu and Laosan are busy contending with myriad manmade hurdles to their love, nature ultimately cuts their time short.

The movie may be not Zhang's best work, but it faithfully depicts a quintessentially Chinese romance.

Courtesy of The World of Chinese, www.theworldofchinese.com