A 153-minute Chinese melodrama so extra it needed TWO movies to cry properly.
Melodrama originally released as two-part films, part one "Soul of Ruins"(废墟之魂) and part two "After the Storm" (暴风雨后).
Acting
Song Jia reportedly cried for 40 minutes straight.
Direction
Shi Shujun's two-part structure was revolutionary for 1989.
Director
Shi Shujun
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The two-part release strategy was nearly unprecedented in 1980s Chinese cinema, making this arthouse's answer to Kill Bill decades early. Theatres reportedly provided tissues at the intermission.
The 'conservatory garden' of the title refers to a real demolished Qing-era garden in Shanghai, making the film a elegy for lost architectural heritage as much as lost love. Shi Shujun filmed in the actual ruins before they became a shopping mall.
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