suzannescherr

Inspiring and moving on several levels - deals with dark topics (recommended for older teens and up) without deviance or sexuality. As another reviewer mentioned, the portrayals of authoritarian government are sobering for a time such as this. The script follows two convening stories - that of the young life of Dr Wang with the defining influences of his difficult life story and that of a not-for-profit eye research center in the USA (led by Dr Wang). Alongside Dr Wang's admirable victories of intellect and persistence, the movie exposes his vulnerability as a human being to less-than-healthy responses to horrendous experiences. Such truthful portrayal, especially of his struggle with his own ego, gives this movie a powerful entry into our own struggles. We are encouraged to shake off the dust and use our broken lives for noble purposes. Both my husband and I teared up more than once. The photos and videos of the real Dr Wang and other persons at the end were worth the wait. On another level, I really enjoyed hearing spoken Mandarin (English subtitles) and seeing real depictions of mainland China at the end of the 20th century. The movie treats the Chinese people and culture with enormous respect, much needed today.