Brian Camp's review (which see) supplies an adequate summary of the film's plot and correctly lauds its excellent cast, whose performances, however, often verge on the overcooked. The leading male character is a complete schmuck — as far as his approach to his three "lady loves" is concerned. Somehow, each time he meets a new one, his "love" for the previous one seems to fade away. That such clueless behavior cannot lead to romantic success should not surprise anyone. The enduring, close friendship of lady-loves #1 and #2 that follows their desertion by this cad is quite touching, probably the best thing about this overlong, soapy, shaggy, Chinese dog.

Camp's review, however, says nothing about the film's most glaring omissions. The invasion of China by Imperial Japan was legendarily brutal, especially in its treatment of civilians. The film shows no instances of destruction of houses, villages, towns etc. and no scenes of torture, rape or execution of captives. Indeed, we never even see the invaders themselves! (Why? So as not to offend the regime of leftover war criminals that, by 1961, had become a firm U.S. ally?) Any hint of Chinese suffering comes to us second hand, at best. But the real falsity of this epic can be grasped by its principal omission. Imagine a war story of China in the 1930s and 1940s which never mentions the Communists! The flags that are shown being held aloft during the war's-end celebrations (1945) are those of "Nationalist" China, i.e., the flag of Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang. How, then, did the Communist Party of China take power only four years later, precipitating the wholesale flight of Chiang & Co. to Taiwan? Anyone who knows the history of that era knows that the Kuomintang's defeat was due largely to their persistent unwillingness to fight the Japanese invaders, expending most of their energy instead on attacking the Communists, which allowed the latter to don the mantle of "the true Chinese patriots." To give the impression that the Nationalists defeated the Japanese invasion by their own efforts is to perpetrate a colossal, historical fraud, one that even a rabidly anti-Mao Hong Kong audience must have found hard to swallow.

Barry Freed

Mandarin-language cinema across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore explores historical reflection, cultural identity, and personal sacrifice, often expressed through poetic visuals and sweeping narratives. In Mainland China, this takes the form of allegory and large-scale epics that reflect on national history. Taiwan emphasizes intimate modernist realism, generational change, and the search for identity. Singapore contributes stories of migration, multiculturalism, and the negotiation of tradition in a globalized city.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

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The war genre features armed conflicts, both historical and fictional, and the experiences of individuals and groups involved in warfare. This genre explores the physical, emotional, and moral challenges faced by soldiers, civilians, and others affected by war.

The story traces the relationships that develop between the protagonist Xu and the three women he meets, set against the backdrop of the Second World War.

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