In the Heat of the Sun

In some ways a fairly typical adolescent coming-of-age story, but with some intriguing twists that hoist it above the average. The narrator throws you some curveballs and suggests a romanticized fantasy. It calls the nature of memory into question. The cinematography is fantastic, it plays a lot with frames-within-a-frame. Like Devils on the Doorstep, this one has a light comic feel but gets astoundingly dark at times. The ending in particular is very atypical for a story of this nature.

After seeing the masterpiece 'devil's on the doorstep' I was already convinced of Jiang Wen's superb qualities as a director and storyteller. His debut film comes close, but was sometimes a bit difficult to relate to. Nonetheless the atmosphere of melancholic summer memories mixed with a couple of brutal scenes is definitely worth watching.Once again very memorable, especially for the dreamlike cinematography.

Jiang's is one of the most impressive transitions from actor to full-blown auteur I've ever seen. His debut is scripted and directed with uncanny maturity. Despite having the Cultural Revolution as its backdrop, the period's repression seeping in and insinuating itself, the film avoids direct political confrontation. It is coming-of-age cinema preoccupied particularly with the demons of adolescent male psychology.

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"A Separate Peace", but in the Cultural Revolution. A classic, dark coming-of-age story in a lot of ways: childhood rivalries, first romance, absent parents, terrible mistakes. Beautiful camerawork and powerful storytelling.

Wen Jiang is my favorite Chinese director.

There are a couple of jarring post-modern flourishes.The side-characters could be a little stronger.

I was glad this coming of age story avoided being bogged down in too much drama. In fact, the film nicely balances darker and lighter themes, keeping my attention throughout. I enjoyed how the story being told is influenced by the narrator's flawed or rose-colored memories, made the experience as a whole even more bittersweet. Great camerawork and cinematography too, the title is pretty spot-on.