Road Home

Compared to typical Western love-stories, or the classic concept of a monomyth, the story unfolding around the road leading into a small farming village in Northern China (this is felt though the quilted pants the heroine wears while doing a running impression of a teletubby jogging). Instead of nostalgia set up in black in white, its given in beautiful technicolor. A particular scene of light pouring from the window, golden light, her pale skin and brilliant red jacket taking up the other half of the frame. Stunning in its simplicity and color, which is what the director Yimou Zhang is infamous for.

The plot for this story allow a story from the 1960 to flow smoothly into modern times, by having the mother retelling the love story between her and his father. The intro and exit in black and white allow the audience to fully feel the freezing cold of winter. This coldness is continued in the winter where the two lovers are separated when the father is hauled into the city for questioning.

Common tasks are preformed with the kind of beauty that can only be captured by Yimou Zhang, from making dumplings, to repairing broken pottery (that particular piece of pottery holds value, not only because it was what Zhang's character aways presented food for him in, but because the mother pays for its repair, knowing it sentimentality to the daughter, giving her approval even though she doesn't verbalize it).

Yimou Zhang is a master of color, so the infusion of golds and yellow add to the sense of nostalgia. The icey white of winter show sadness and the beautiful shades of green infuse the spring and reunion.