During the Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizing reunion, director Wang Quan'an's film Apart Together (Tuanyuan, literally "reunion") reappeared on cinema screens after a three-year disappearance. Made in 2010, Apart Together was not granted an immediate release after winning Best Screenplay and scoring a Golden Bear nomination at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival. It is now being screened nationwide without cuts.

Based on a true story, Apart Together depicts the remarkable endurance of love. Liu Yansheng, played by Lin Feng, was a Kuomintang soldier who fled the mainland in 1949, and returns to Shanghai to look for his long-lost wife Qiao Yu'e (Lisa Lu) after a separation of six decades. He intends to take her back to Taiwan, and promises to compensate her husband Lu Shanmin (Xu Caigen) and her children with all his money. Liu's arrival stirs up the tranquil life of Qiao and Lu. The trio are confronted with a complicated entanglement and the elderly Qiao must choose between the two men.

Known for his naturalistic storytelling and cinematography, Wang continues his unobtrusive style in Apart Together. The film begins with a long take. At the dinner table, Qiao's granddaughter Nana (Monica Mok) reads a letter from Liu announcing his plans to come back to the mainland.

Except for Liu who is from Taiwan, all the characters in the film speak in Shanghainese. With the camera skimming over the old lanes and new buildings, Shanghai's changes mirror the changes of the whole country over the past 60 years after Liu's departure.

A scene from Apart Together Photos: CFP

 

The story and style of Apart Together recall Fei Mu's Spring in a Small Town (1948) and Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman (1994). However, compared with these two classics, Apart Together falls short.

Firstly, the reason why Qiao might be willing to leave Shanghai and her family now that she is an old woman remains unclear throughout the movie. There are three scenes where Liu and Qiao tell each other the stories of their lives after their separation. However, Wang chooses to soften the conflicts, so that we are not privy to Qiao's thoughts. But this approach weakens the story and reveals the imperfections of the screenplay.

An important part of traditional Chinese life, sitting around a table and eating with family is a ritual. At the table families share their daily lives with each other, and during the process familial bonds and values are enhanced and strengthened.

Scenes depicting the preparation of food appear throughout the film. Almost all the important conflicts happen at the table. As mentioned, the whole story kicks off at the dinner table when Nana reads Liu's letter to the family. At the end of the story, before Liu goes back to Taiwan, Qiao's family give him a farewell dinner outside their door. Liu prepares to sing a song before a sudden rain interrupts the dinner. The camera freezes on the dishes in the rain, echoing the dinner at the very beginning.

Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman played the sense of ritual to extreme. Lee's deft storytelling made the centrality of the family meal a powerful metaphor.

Unlike Lee, Wang shot the dinner scenes in Apart Together with long takes. At the film's premiere in Shanghai, Wang revealed that he decided to shoot this way because he wanted to record every vivid detail at the table. It is an effective method to capture the family dynamic; but when long takes are used repeatedly in similar scenes, the monotony of the camerawork can overwhelm the power of the story.

However, Apart Together is ultimately a moving drama. Wang tells a touching story through simple storytelling and cinematography. The English name Apart Together expresses a paradox in our lives. When confronted with changing circumstances and a destiny we are too small to fight against, what we can do is cherish every encounter as a reunion. Apart Together earns three stars out of five.

Photos: CFP

 

Everyone's a critic

Sun Xiaocun

23, 4 years in Shanghai

Although I do not understand Shanghainese, I was very impressed with the film's dialogue. It reminded me of the ordinary Shanghainese around me. I was deeply moved by Lu Shanmin, Qiao's husband who was willing to give up all his happiness for his wife. Wang Quan'an told a light but touching story and I really enjoyed it.

Zhang Qiushi

27, Shanghainese

I am a little disappointed with this movie because I believe Wang Quan'an can do better. The true story is dramatic enough, but when he made it into a film, it seems that the whole film is not strong enough. I was very excited to see Lisa Lu. She is over 80 but she remains beautiful and attractive as ever.

Zhang Yuanfeng

30, Shanghainese

I have not seen a film in the Shanghai dialect for a long time, so it is amazing to hear the language I have spoken for 30 years in the cinema. The contrast of old and new Shanghai in the film appears unobvious, but you can still recognize it when the camera skims over the old streets and new buildings. The story itself is very Chinese. The choice the three people made reflected the traditional values of family and life.