Ruijun Li's touching Chinese drama about two lonely souls raised the ire of the government which has subsequently banned it. A political tract it is not.
Ma (Renlin Wu) is dismissed even by his own family as 'fourth brother'. Cao (Hai-Qing) is similarly the dark sheep of her family, challenged by health issues and quiet almost to the point of being a mute. Their families arrange a marriage - not necessarily for the benefit of the man and woman - as much as taking them off their hands. They are peasants. Subsistence farmers eeking out not so much a living, as survival.
Good fortune seems to strike the newlyweds when the rich land baron who owns their tracts calls upon Ma for a vital personal favor. Ma is so humble and honorable that he never demands any true reward for helping out the landlord, indeed he extracts nothing at all. He is the type of man who doesn't even ride his farm labor donkey - afraid his weight will burden the beast.
Ruijun Li (who also wrote) provides a gentle guiding hand. The small miracle that evolves with Ma and Cao truly becoming a married couple is accomplished with the smallest of touches. There is minimal music and few major incidents. Li adopts a neo-realist tone. It's et in the present day - which probably is what triggered the government's reaction to the appallingly poor and exploited condition of the farm workers. Other than the use of cell phones and modern vehicles, it could take place at any time.
RETURN TO DUST is simple, but not simplistic. Renlin Wu and Hai-Qing's unadorned but accomplished performances carry the movie over some occasionally slow patches. It's a lovely work that should be seen -- especially, in it's homeland.
