Sunflower

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Continuing a recent trade in Chinese films, Zhang Yang´s "Sunflower" spans multiple decades and measures the impact of political changes on a small group of people: in this case, the nuclear family.

The film begins with a brief introduction in 1967 as proud parents Gengnian (Haiying Sun) and Xiuqing (Joan Chen) fawn over their bouncing baby boy Xiangyang. In a scene that will determine his destiny, the baby, choosing between multiple options, grabs a paint brush which thrills his father, also an aspiring artist.

Fast forward to 1976 and nine year-old Xiangyang (Zhang Fan, one of four actors who plays the character at different ages) is a precocious malcontent who skulks on rooftops flinging rocks at little girls and passers-by, a positively idyllic existence as far as the boy is concerned. But paradise is lost when a stranger wanders into their courtyard; it´s Gengnian just returned from several years of re-education. A power struggle develops instantly between the disobedient boy and his authoritarian father, a battle of wills that defines the rest of the film.

Flash forward to 1987 and father and son still fight over the same issue. Dad insists that Xiangyang become an artist while the 19 year-old young man (Ge Gao) wants to do… well, anything other than what his father wants him to do. As you would expect, a pretty young woman (Liang Jing) enters the picture, providing the final spark that fires Xiangyang´s rebellion, one that is instantly quelled by dad, who possesses the omniscience of Frank Zappa´s Central Scrutinizer.

Cue up the 1999 title card and 32 year-old Xiangyang (Wang Haidi) is, you guessed it, still fighting with his father over what he wants to do with his life. This time the struggle has at least shifted a bit. Xiangyang has not only accepted his path as an artist, but is beginning to thrive ("Father Knows Best" by way of Ang Lee) but now both dad and mom want a grandchild and they want one now. Xiangyang and his wife have other plans.

Along the way, historical events impinge on the hermetic world of the family. The Cultural Revolution flourishes, Mao dies, the Gang of Four is arrested and, eventually, capitalism slowly begins to creep in. If the director is trying to show how these events impact the family, it´s hard to figure exactly what he intends. It seems like nothing really changes for any of the main characters except that mom finagles her way into being allotted a new apartment by devious means. Gengnian starts out a grumpy, controlling father and turns into a grumpier, more controlling father. Xiangyang is a brat at age 9 and pretty much still a brat at age 32. Xiuqing settles into her role as the supportive yet feisty mother, fighting both for and with her husband and son.

The lack of so-called character development (never my favorite term) isn´t necessarily a problem, nor is the fact that the film is an unabashed melodrama. The problem is that the big moments of conflict that punctuate each of the film´s segments are limp and inauthentic. In on scene, father and son chase each other across an icy lake. Just as their argument heats up, Gengnian gets cooled off by a sudden plunge into the chilly water and Xiangyang has to pull him out. The contrivances only get worse as the film lurches into its awkward final act, and the less said about it the better. The problem is only magnified by a Mickey Mouse soundtrack which underscores the alleged emotional impact of each big scene with the subtlety of an earthquake (which, by the way, is one of the big moments in the film.) Granted, such effects are part and parcel of the melodrama; it´s the execution that is sorely lacking.

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