''Zhou Yu's Train'' ( zh, s=周渔的火车, t=周漁的火車, p=zhōu yú de huǒchē) is a

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

Chinese film The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the hom ...

, based on a novella by Bei Cun, directed by

Sun Zhou The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...

, and starring

Gong Li Gong Li ( zh, s=巩俐, t=鞏俐; born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese-born Singaporean actress. She is regarded as one of the best actresses in China today, known for her versatility and naturalistic performances. She starred in three of the ...

and

Tony Leung Ka-Fai Tony Leung Ka-fai (; born 1 February 1958) is a Hong Kong actor who is a four-time winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor. As he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony L ...

. The title refers to a poetic compilation published by the character in the movie played by Leung. The story starts at a book signing event and leads to the memories of the two lovers encounters. Zhou Yu maintained the relationship by commuting on the train, hence the title of the movie. *

Tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, so ...

: ''Her love is torn between a doctor and a poet''.

Synopsis

The story is set in Chongyang (

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

province,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

) and Sanming (Fujian province). Zhou Yu, a ceramics artist from Sanming falls in love with the poet Chen Qing, who lives in Chongyang, a town several hundred kilometers from Sanming. During the train trips between Sanming and Chongyang, she also meets Zhang Qiang, a veterinary surgeon. Gong Li plays two characters who only differ by their hair styles, namely Zhou Yu and the short-haired Xiu. The film is pieced together with many flashbacks in no particular chronological order. The relationship between the two women is unclear until the end of the film.

External links

Official website
with synopsis, cast & crew, comments on production, and trailers (requires Flash). * * * Kaori Shoji

''The Japan Times'', Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003. * Michael O'Sullivan

''The Washington Post'' Friday, August 27, 2004; Page WE31 * Derek Elley

''Variety'' Wed., Mar. 5, 2003. * Dave Kehr
Zhou Yu's Train (2003): Torn Between a Dreamy Idealist and a Veterinarian
''New York Times'' July 16, 2004. * Graham Fuller
Shots in the dark: the reality of the rails may be all iron and steel, but when it comes to the movies, they're magic
February 2005. 2002 films 2000s Mandarin-language films 2002 romantic drama films Sony Pictures Classics films Rail transport films Films scored by Shigeru Umebayashi Chinese romantic drama films Films directed by Sun Zhou 2000s Chinese films {{2000s-romantic-drama-film-stub