
A wife yearns for complete independence from a narrow, restricting life in this slow-paced, undistinguished melodrama from mainland China, set in 1944-'45, in the midst of fighting. The young woman works at a good job, nurses her terminally ill husband, cares for her small child, and puts up with a difficult mother-in-law. Her desire to chuck it all is tempered by the need to take care of her family, and as China slowly heads toward the communist takeover in 1949, the chaos of the war around her further inhibits any impulse to go it alone.
Directed by Que Wen, Chilly Nights leans on a strong ensemble — Pan Hong, Lin Moyu, Xu Huanshan — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1984.
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Years after her boyfriend left her for the big city and promised to bring her there after he’s settled down, a Chinese woman sets out on a journey to be reunited with him.
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