Themes: Love Triangles, Brief Encounters, Train Rides
Main Cast: Gong Li, Gong Li, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, Sun Hong-Lei, Li Zhixiong
Release Year: 2003
Country: CN/HK
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Sun Zhou's stylized Zhou Yu de Huoche (Zhou Yu's Train) is the story of a woman in love. Zhou Yu (Gong Li) and teacher Chen Ching (Tony Leung Kar-Fai) fall in love. After Ching gives Zhou a poem he wrote for her, she begins taking a train ride twice a week to his home in order to have sex with him. During her time on the train, she strikes up a relationship with a veterinarian (Sun Honglei), but she ends their time together when she learns that he spied on her during one of her visits with Ching. Gong Li has a second role as a another woman obsessed with Chen who is trying to ascertain the nature of his relationship with Zhou. This film was shown out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Shi Chunling - Xiang; Liu Weiguang - Liu; Gao Jingwen - Tao; Dai Ke - Librarian; Pan Weiyan - Uncle Guai; Huang Mo - Zhou Yu, as a young girl; Zhang Heng; Wang Yanhui; He Jiesheng
Credit
Sun Li - Art Director, Bill Kong - Co-producer, Tai Zuhui - Co-producer, Tang Yat-ming - Co-producer, Ma Defan - Costume Designer, Zhou Huajian - First Assistant Director, Yang Qianbin - First Assistant Director, Sun Zhou - Director, William Chang - Editor, Huang Jianxin - Executive Producer, John Chong - Executive Producer, Sun Zhou - Executive Producer, Yang Buting - Executive Producer, Xiao Xinxian - Executive Producer, Shigeru Umebayashi - Composer (Music Score), Wang Yu - Cinematographer, Huang Jianxin - Producer, Sun Zhou - Producer, Yang Buting - Producer, Su Xiongfei - Special Effects, Wang Xueyi - Sound/Sound Designer, Chen Fei - Sound/Sound Designer, Bei Cun - Screen Story, Zhang Meijun - Screenwriter, Sun Zhou - Screenwriter, Bei Cun - Screenwriter
The title refers to a poetic compilation published by the character in the movie played by Leung. The story starts at a book signing event and leads to the memories of the two lovers encounters. Zhou Yu maintained the relationship by commuting on the train, hence the title of the movie.
Tagline: Her love is torn between a doctor and a poet.
Plot
The story is set in Chongyang (Hubei province, China) and Sanming (Fujian province). Zhou Yu, a ceramics artist from Sanming falls in love with the poet Chen Qing, who lives in Chongyang, a town several hundred kilometers from Sanming. During the train trips between Sanming and Chongyang, also meets Zhang Qiang, a veterinary surgeon.
Gong Li plays two characters who only differ by their hair styles, namely Zhou Yu and the short-haired Xiu. The film is pieced together with many flashbacks in no particular chronological order. The relation between the two women is unclear until the end of the film.
External links
Official website with synopsis, cast & crew, comments on production, and trailers (requires Flash).
