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In early 1950s, Chinese Civil War has ended with defeat of Republic of China and establishment of People's Republic of China by communists.

Ko Chun-Hsiung and Andy Lau in A Home Too Far (1990)

One of the most relentless and grim war movies ever made

Poignant & Grim Tale Of A Forgotten Chapter In The Chinese Civil War

This 1990 Taiwanese production, which stars several leading Hong Kong actors such as Andy Lau and Chun Hsiang Ko, is one of the most relentless and grim war movies ever made. Set in the 50&#39;s, it tracks the journey of a ragtag bunch of Taiwanese soldiers and their families fleeing the communist occupiers along the Burmese border. Facing starvation, hostile weather, betrayal in their own ranks, constant thirst and injury, they pull together to forge a semblance of a life, but renewed conflict is always right around the corner. And it is this constant specter of war that casts an unbelievably dark pall over this memorable film. The battle scenes run the gamut from small scale to grand and the staging is reminiscent of Woo&#39;s &quot;Bullet in the Head&quot; and Kubrick&#39;s &quot;Paths of Glory&quot;. Between the numerous scenes of bloody conflict, there is a firm focus on the characters&#39; personal stories and a further emphasis on the way family life is destroyed by war. There are rare passages of touching emotional beauty and much commentary on the fragility of happiness, but these detours always give way to conflict. Ricky Ho&#39;s musical score is grand, sad, operatic and ultra-romantic, and plays as much a part in the film&#39;s effectiveness as the cinematography and powerful performances. A couple of stanzas are handicapped by a misguided use of sped up footage, but these barely impact on the whole. Because the film is so downbeat and filled with death and destruction from beginning to end, it will alienate many viewers who want some light in their darkness. But if you are prepared to take a heroic journey into hell, track this title down. You won&#39;t be disappointed or question its absolute sincerity as a celebration of one nation&#39;s courage. An obscure cinematic treasure.

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A Home Too Far

Based on a novel by Bo Yang, a well known dissident in Chiang Kai-Shek ruled Taiwan (and later founding president of Taiwan&#39;s chapter of Amnesty International) and set in the Burmese-Yunnan border, the story starts with the fighting retreat of the Kuomintang 8th Army, together with their families, commanded by General Li Mi from Yunnan while being pursued by the Communist forces. The troops eventually find refuge in the Burmese side of the border and re-organise for what they hope is the eventual counterattack into mainland China. The main protagonist in the movie is played by Tou Chung-Hua (庹宗華) and he gives a memorable performance as a line officer struggling to survive both the conflict as well as rebuild the semblance of a normal life for his refugee family. Andy Lau plays a relatively smaller role with more limited air time but the personal tragedy is portrayed very poignantly. The other supporting cast put up very powerful performances as well, balancing the horrors of constant conflict with focus on personal stories and families torn apart by the horrors of war. Nonetheless, the age of the movie does show and this subject matter deserves a new remake. It covers a often forgotten (perhaps on purpose) episode in the decades long Chinese Civil War that affected millions of people, and will find an audience in the descendents of the Chinese diaspora worldwide, many of which had their families directly affected by the conflict.

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A Home Too Far

One of the most relentless and grim war movies ever made

Poignant & Grim Tale Of A Forgotten Chapter In The Chinese Civil War

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