Storyline

'Yellow Earth' focuses on the story of a communist soldier who is sent to the countryside to collect folk songs for the Communist Revolution. There he stays with a peasant family and learns that the happy songs he was sent to collect do not exist; the songs he finds are about hardship and suffering. He returns to the army, but promises to come back for the young girl, Cuiqiao, who has been spell-bound by his talk of the freedom women have under communist rule and who wants to join the Communist Army.—Ronald Aiken

Plot Keywords

communist, song, marriage, girl, china, communism, color in title, promise, arranged marriage, stranger, drumming, 1930s, based on novel, independent film, poverty, superstition, village, singing, wedding, year 1939

Short Review

Yellow Earth takes us to an unfamiliar place and time, but through its serene images and its use of songs and music, it widens all our horizons.

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership