Module 10: Spring in a Small Town (1948)

The film:

Xiaocheng zhi chun
Alternative English titles: When Spring Comes, Springtime in a Small City
Director: Fei Mu
Screenplay: Li Tianji
Wen Hwa (Wenhua) Film Studio
Date of release: September 25, 1948 (Shanghai)
93 minutes
Cast: Wei Wei, Shi Yu, Li Wei, Zhang Hongmei, Cui Chaoming
English subtitles translated by Christopher Rea

This module is under construction.

Video lecture 1:

14 minutes

Video lecture 2:

14 minutes

Learn more

Scenes from Spring in a Small Town

First appearance of Yuwen’s voiceover:

Dai Xiu sings the folk song “Lovely Little Rose”:

Dai Xiu and Dai Liyan sing “In that Far-Off Place”:

A chicken makes a cameo during one of Yuwen and Zhichen’s walks:

Dai Liyan realizes that his wife is in love with his old friend:

Zhichen barely restrains his passion, and Yuwen cuts her hand:

Comparisons with other films

Watch Fei Mu’s film Song of China (1935), also known as Filial Piety, which contains original Chinese-English intertitles and a full soundtrack: