Wan Li Gui Tu, internationally known as Home Coming, is a Chinese military drama set in a non-specified country during the Arab Spring. It tells the story of two unarmed Chinese diplomats who attempt to save one hundred twenty-five isolated Chinese citizens from a region controlled by hostile rebel forces and bring them back home. The diplomats need to use courage, diplomacy and strategy to face different challenges and dangers.
On the positive side, the portrayal of the Arab Spring is quite realistic in this movie. The fact that no country, group or leader is specifically pointed out goes along with the film's promotion of compromises and intellect. The locations have been chosen with care, the costumes look quite realistic and the tense atmosphere is genuine as well. This survival drama has excellent pace from start to finish but also takes its time to develop its most important characters. The viewers will be rooting for their survival. The acting performances are decent to great throughout. The explosive special effects also stand out because they are employed realistically and avoid turning this film into a senseless action spectacle.
On the negative side, this film is obviously a propaganda movie like so many other contemporary Chinese films. After a period of intellectual freedom throughout the nineties and early years of the millennium, most movies from the past decade and counting try to portray Chinese people as particularly heroic citizens and their government as caring, reliable and strong. The message of this movie is very clear: no matter where a Chinese citizen lives, the government will protect said citizen from any foreign danger and bring this citizen back home by any means necessary. While this promise might sound almost romantic at first sight, such constant surveillance also has a justifiably creepy undertone for non-Chinese viewers like myself.
At the end of the day, Home Coming is a gripping military drama with profound characters, excellent locations and realistic special effects. On the other side, this movie has a strong propagandistic touch, attempting to praise the Chinese government as heroic, powerful and revolutionary. If you are willing to forgive those little hints at brainwashing, you are going to explore a very good genre movie that entertains from start to finish.
