As part of the International Film Week at GSC Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur, 12 films from Mainland China showcasing China's New Age Directors, including 'Peach Blossom' by director Wan Xin Sheng, were selected. And if 'Peach Blossom' is any indication of the quality of the other Chinese films selected for the International Film Week, then cinemagoers who are thinking of sampling Mainland Chinese films definitely need have no fears of watching low-quality movies.

'Peach Blossom', a 1995 production, stars Gu Gang, Li Lin and Chen Dao Ming. It also marks director Wan Xin Sheng's directing debut after having worked on several productions as a cameraman. Ok, here's the plot.

Man Tian Hung (Gu Gang) is part of a group of travelling actors who roam the countryside trying to make a living. One day, they arrived at the district of …(Errr, I forgot the name here. Sorry.) The point is, the entire district is owned by Old Man Yao (Chen Dao Ming), a eunuch who is virtually a dictator here. He has a young wife, Tao Hua (Li Lin) who soon falls in love with Man Tian Hung. Man Tian Hung and Tao Hua decide to run away together but Old Man Yao has other plans in store for them.

On the surface, 'Peach Blossom' looks like a film that has all the hallmarks of a typical Mainland Chinese production, with the usual elements of teary-eyed dramatic scenes, tragic love sequences, a bad guy whom you just love to hate, etc, etc… but surprisingly, it's more than that. The story builds up slowly, yet at a pace designed subtly to enable the audience to empathize with the characters. I was drawn to Man Tian Hung's maverick-like character, mesmerized by Tao Hua's barely suppressed passions and reviled by Old Man Yao's callousness and ruthlessness.

By the time the lovers elope and are being chased by the bad guys, you'll find yourself rooting wholeheartedly for the lovers to escape from their clutches. And it's only a simple story of two people who go against the rigid values and mores of a feudal society!! The quality of the acting here, by the three lead stars is simply great. It just goes to show where the likes of Bai Ling, Jet Li, Gong Li…just to name a few Chinese stars, are coming from. The film is also set against the background of China's beautiful landscape, with rolling dreamlike hills and valleys, tranquil flower fields, ominous storm clouds and so on.

And to tell you the truth, I don't really go for arty films myself, into which category I suppose 'Peach Blossom' would fall into. But in this case, who cares? Arty film or not, this is one wonderful movie. Director Wan Xin Sheng has really done well here and I can't wait to see more of his films. All in all, a superbly crafted film with great dialogue and a simple but absorbing story.