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Poster for Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

2002 · 1h 56m · N/A Drama
Directed by Dai Sijie

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Overview

During the Cultural Revolution, two young men are sent to a remote mining village where they fall in love with the local tailor’s beautiful granddaughter and discover a suitcase full of forbidden Western novels.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
77%
Tomatometer
Rotten

The ethereal private moments and inspired passages are beautifully shot by Jean-Marie Dreujou, but Dai never quite organizes the material dramatically, and the tone is too often jagged and disruptive.

Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Reader
Fresh

The film is episodic, and most of the scenes are evocative and charming.

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
Fresh

[A] tribute to the transforming power of books.

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh

A nifty little film about the powers of culture and the humanities.

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
Fresh

[A] charmer.

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

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