X
  • 2008
  • Unrated
  • Palm Pictures
  • 2 h 38 m
  • 2008
  • Unrated
  • Palm Pictures
  • 2 h 38 m

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)

Directed By: Ye Lou

Written By: Yingli Ma, Feng Mei, Ye Lou

  • 2008
  • Unrated
  • Palm Pictures
  • 2 h 38 m
  • 2008
  • Unrated
  • Palm Pictures
  • 2 h 38 m

Summer Palace

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
79
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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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)

Directed By: Ye Lou

Written By: Yingli Ma, Feng Mei, Ye Lou

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
79
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
79
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
The most important mainland Chinese film this decade.
FULL REVIEW
90
For director Lou Ye, who also co-wrote the script and was a student in Beijing during that crucial year, Summer Palace is the story of his particular lost generation, a story he felt so deeply about he risked his career to tell it. Search out this vivid film in a theater. Don't let the sacrifices he made be in vain.
By Kenneth Turan FULL REVIEW
83
A fascinating and frustrating film in turns, created out of scorching passions and built around a fascinating performance but rambling and choppy in the telling. It can overwhelm you and puzzle and repel you, sometimes within moments.
By Shawn Levy FULL REVIEW
80
In truth, I’ve never seen so much lovemaking in an aboveground film, but the revelation, and great triumph, of Lou’s work is that these scenes are never pornographic--that is, never separated from emotion.
By David Denby FULL REVIEW
75
The bureaucrats in Beijing want to get rid of the sex and full-frontial nudity and scenes of cops beating protesters in Tiananmen Square. I would keep all that but cut out some of the flab in the second half of the 140-minute drama.
By V.A. Musetto FULL REVIEW
70
Lou's mobile camera captures the flushed energy of the faces and bodies of beautiful youths in love with all the verve and commitment of the early French New Wave.
FULL REVIEW
50
The director is at his best portraying the dingy dorms and vivid idealism of college life; his film stalls when it meanders away from these particulars toward a sweeping but empty attempt at the epic.
FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), Dream Factory, Flying Moon Filmproduktion, Fonds Sud Cinéma, Laurel Films, Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Développement International, Norman Rosemont Productions, Rosem Films
Release Date Jan 18, 2008
Duration 2 h 38 m
Rating Unrated
Genres
Website http://www.ocean-films.com/unejeunessechinoise/
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Awards

Cannes Film Festival
• 1 Nomination

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