Great film!
This is a must see film that easily found a place on my faves list. Beautiful cinematography of rural China paired with a compelling story and outstanding performance by Zhao Benshan make for a film that is simultaneously sweet, sad and funny. Lao Zhao's perseverance and plucky optimism in the face of adversity is uplifting and a lesson in finding joy in the small victories in life. After 5 years I'm surprised that it's still not available on Netflix when clearly it's available for purchase. I've caught it myself a couple times on IFC over the past couple of years.
Entertaining & enlightening
I very much enjoyed this film of contemporary China as seen through the trials and tribulations of a 50-year old migrant worker called Lao Zhao ("Old Zhao"). He works in construction in the megalopolis of Shenzhen in southern coastal China. When his co-worker dies, Lao Zhao attempts to fulfill a promise to bring him back home to his family in Sichuan province in the interior. The plot of "Getting Home" was apparently based on a true story. The Chinese title derives from the saying, "A falling leaf returns to its roots."
The film is both comic (with black humor involving the transport and preservation of a corpse) and sad. When the film opens, Lao Zhao thinks his friend has passed out at a cafe, but in fact he has died. The main character is never daunted. No matter what hardship he encounters en route to getting his friend to his native place, he perseveres. He feels joy in small victories, such as beating a water buffalo in a foot race or finding a tire that he can...
"Gettig Home" is exceptional
This is a terrific movie. The story with its many captivating sub-stories is very touching and the acting is exceptional.
I watch very few movies. After having seen a small part of "Getting Home" on Link TV I knew I wanted to see all of it. And when I told My family and friends about a movie, they knew it was exceptional and they wanted to watch it also. All of us have enjoyed "Getting Home."
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