Youth

Released Dec 15, 2017

2h 26m

Drama

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Youth: Trailer 1

2:20

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17 Reviews

86%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

The members of a military cultural troupe come of age in the 1970s.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

The film still generates a certain amount of fascination as it transforms into a melodramatic love story, though I missed the imagination and historical sweep that defined the first half.

Jan 4, 2018

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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

It will probably break your heart in all the wrong ways.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 15, 2017

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Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

If our understanding of the losses these characters have suffered feels incomplete, it's hard to come away entirely unaffected as these men and women look back at their young adulthood and the whirlwind of historical change against which it played out.

Dec 14, 2017

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David Pountain

Vague Visages

Achieving a vibrant mix of swooning sincerity and bitter irony...

Dec 12, 2023

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Katie Smith-Wong

Flick Feast

As a drama, Youth is full of nostalgia and sentimentality - however, there is not enough here to truly engage the audience into the lives of the troupe.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 11, 2019

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Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

the general sense the movie emits is great, and even this faults seem to fit in, in a rather entertaining spectacle that is very enjoyable through its 134 minutes.

Oct 20, 2019

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Lucinda 0

It's my fave movie. N im quite picky abt movies. Very emotional in some parts. N it does not shy away from controversy. Watched it 6 years ago. N watch it minimum once a year now. I recommend it to everyone.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Mainland Chinese from that era, their youths have been defined by this heavy and inescapable darkness. The so called "Youth" that director Feng tries to eulogise is the young lives sacrificed by a corrupted ideology and intentional policies. This kind of ugliness is no different from the director's decayed human dignity. Their only difference lies in the form: the collective in the past is communists promoting communism, today's Feng is trying to use the approaches and methods of capitalism to protect the utopian dream of communism. While Feng is affecting himself with this new kitsch, he defies countless of young actress' flesh and soul. His cunning, together with his choice of sabotage the cause and effect logic of this story originates from the same kind of hypocrisy. In short, a good melodrama, but it disgusts me. 那个年代的人，他们的似水年华被这样一种更为广阔而沉重的黑暗所定义，所谓"芳华"不过是别有用心的价值观和政策下被无情扼杀的青年人。这样的丑陋，和导演冯小刚的流氓嘴脸别无二致。唯一的差异体现在形式上：过去的集体是在共言共，今天的冯导却是用着资本主义的手段维护着共产主义的大旗。当冯导自我感动地缅怀自己逝去的青春和战友时，他也在扮演者新时代年轻人灵与肉的玷污者。这样的奸猾和懦弱，和他在影片中最终刻意回避事件因果关系的选择源于同一种虚伪。

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a propaganda movie of the communist party having nothing to say for film enthusiasts

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Youth is a wondrous film. I was worried for a while if it would hold together, as it is a bit disjointed. But it does hold together, and well. The story follows these young people into adulthood, with such peaks of great joy in performing and such depths of despair and pain from the costs of war. There is great camaraderie in the cadre of music and dance loving young people. But then there's Xiaoping- bullied and ostracized for much of her life. Yet she is indomitable- too innately good and empathetic of others to let the cruelty of some break her. But war is a far different force; one that can break the mental armor of even the very strong. Nice work by Feng again, along with actors Miao, Huang and Chuxi. But much credit also goes to the cinematographer, camera persons & DP. This is a gorgeous film to look at. 3.8 stars

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It has some good points to make, and a pretty bravura long-take battle sequence that comes like a jolt of adrenaline... but that's mainly because the rest of it's rather tepid. Even though it's well-done, it's not anything especially new and refreshing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A narrative story spanning across a few of China's historical period and cultural changes. Well-developed characters. Very real war scenes with good actions. Other than having no feel to those propaganda songs and bearing low expectation due to its low publicity, this film proved me wrong.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Feng Xiao-Gang

Director

Yang Caiyu

Dingding Lin

Xuan Huang

Feng Liu

Tian Chen Wang

Can Chen

Li Xiaofeng

Shuwen Hao

Miao Miao

Xiaoping He

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Youth: Trailer 1

2:20

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Synopsis

The members of a military cultural troupe come of age in the 1970s.

Director: Feng Xiao-Gang
Screenwriter: Yan Geling
Distributor: China Lion Film Distribution
Production Co: Huayi Brothers, Sparkle Roll Media
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.9M
Runtime: 2h 26m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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