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Summer Palace
Summer Palace Image
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score
4.8 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 4 Ratings

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10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Beautiful Yu Hong leaves her village, her family and her fiancé to study in Peking. She discovers a world of intense sexual awakening and foolishly falls in love with another student, Zhou Wei. Their relationship turns into a dangerous game reflecting the politically unstable country they live in. (Océan Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: G. Allen Johnson
    100
    The most important mainland Chinese film this decade.
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    100
    In Summer Palace Lou nonetheless succeeds in finding a cinematic language that does more than summarize the important events of a confusing decade. He distills the inner confusion -- the swirl of moods, whims and needs -- that is the lived and living essence of history.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Derek Elley
    60
    Fourth feature by Mainland helmer Lou Ye ("Suzhou River," "Purple Butterfly") shoots for metaphysical drama but ends up saying very little beneath all the poetic voiceovers, sexual encounters and political seasoning.

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