And the Spring Comes (2007) Movie Review

“And the Spring Comes” is Sixth Generation Mainland Chinese director Gu Changwei’s second outing, and the follow up to his widely acclaimed, award winning debut “Peacock”. Casting his own wife in the decidedly unglamorous lead role, he again explores rather grim themes of conformity and selfishness, though at the same time somehow manages to give them an inspirational spin, depicting a sympathetic, if not particularly likeable protagonist battling the odds and chasing her dreams against a backdrop of change in 1980s China.

Wang Tsai Ling (Jiang Wenli, the director’s wife, who also starred in “The Gua Sha Treatment”) is an acne afflicted, frumpy woman who lives in a dingy industrial town and who teaches singing while dreaming of causing a sensation in the world of Western opera. Although her wonderful voices fails to get her accepted into a Beijing opera troupe, this does not stop her from bragging and lying to her neighbours about her achievements and about having connections in the big city. She falls in with a couple of workers, the clumsy but enthusiastic Zhou Yu (Wu Guohua), and would-be tortured artist Huang Sibao (Li Guangjie). Zhou falls for Wang, though she has her eye on Huang, and the two head for Beijing. Unfortunately, her attempts to break into the opera scene again result in failure, and Huang rejects her passionate advances. Returning home, she refuses to give in and accept her mediocre life, and teams up with an aging, effeminate ballet dancer called Mr. Hu (Jiao Gang, recently in Ann Hui’s excellent “The Postmodern Life of my Aunt”) who suffers from similar frustrations.

Director Gu takes the same offbeat approach with “And the Spring Comes” as he did with “Peacock”, and although the film may sound like a straightforward underdog story, it is actually something far more complex. What really sets the film apart is the fact that Wang Tsai Ling is by no means a traditional protagonist, and although it might be expected that her ugly face hides a golden heart, or perhaps at least a sparkling wit, this turns out not to be the case. Selfish, arrogant and egotistical, she frequently lies and cheats, and is often tricked herself. Despite this, her single-minded pursuit of her dream, and the way in which she struggles tirelessly against seemingly insurmountable and cruelly unfair odds mean that it is impossible not to side with her and to feel for her. Almost everything about her is challenging, right down to her pursuit of a Western singing style, something that immediately defies expectations and sets her apart from her peers. Thanks in no small part to an utterly convincing performance by Jiang Wenli (who deservedly won Best Actress at the Rome Film Festival for her efforts), she makes for a fascinating figure, and the film is all the more moving for being unconventional and uncomfortable. All of the supporting cast take on similar roles of people marginalised by the system, and though an odd and not necessarily pleasant bunch they too, if not exactly likeable, are certainly interesting.

The film does not follow the expected narrative arc, and basically works as a series of anecdotal scenes, cataloguing Wang’s increasingly desperate attempts to succeed in Beijing and to find self-fulfilment. Most of these relate to yet more disasters and humiliations, though again Gu plays them in an unexpected manner, making it clear that Wang generally brings them upon herself rather than milking them for melodrama or attacking society for its ills. Indeed, the film has a strangely uncritical feel to it, as indeed did “Peacock”, focusing instead on the flawed humanity of the characters.

Thankfully, Gu tempers the potentially dark and depressing material with an absurdist sense of humour, managing to find a certain amount of comedy in Wang’s plight. As such, the film is both sad and funny at the same time, though without undermining the protagonist or transforming her into a figure of fun. This is not always wholly successful, and the tone is a little uncertain at times, and viewers may well feel unsure of whether or not the laughs are too mean spirited or mocking. It is this conflict however which is at the heart of the film, and which to an extent is the point that Gu seems to be trying to make, showing her quest to be inspirational and laudable, yet at the same time futile and scornful.

This gives the “And the Spring Comes” considerable depth, and Gu builds impressively upon his debut, albeit without straying too far from the well. Determinedly unconventional, yet engaging and moving, it stands as an excellent, and believably human piece of drama. Although uncomfortable at times, it offers a genuine and challenging look at the cold, hard fact that dreams are often denied, or indeed squandered.

Changwei Gu (director) / Qiang Li (screenplay)
CAST: Wenli Jiang … Wang Cailing
Gang Jiao … Mr. Hu
Guangjie Li … Huang Sibao
Yajie Wang
Guohua Wu … Zhou Yu
Yao Zhang … Gao Beibei