Stage Sisters (1964)

	Also Known As: Two Stage Sisters
	Year of first release: 1964
	Director: Jin Xie
	Actors: Fang Xie, Yindi Cao, Nan Deng
	Country: CN
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 30.04.2015, Teatro Nuovo, FEFF2015
Synopsis: Escaping from forces marriages and men abuse, two sworn sisters move from the coutryside to Shangai where their acting and singing talent will make them famous.
Review: This year the FEFF was proposing some restored old movies including this one. I was quickly pleased by the quality of the images (in a 4:3 format), which reminded me that 50 years ago, China was producing movies that could look as good as the Hollywood ones. Some shots of the countryside are quite beautiful. I had a bit of trouble at the beginning differentiating between some female characters, but it didn't prevent from getting the basic plot, quite classical of that period I guess. What was interesting was to witness the opposite evolution of the two sworn sisters, in a period of China post-war and pre-cultural revolution. What spoiled it a bit was that all ends too well, and especially the final message is that the sisters should go back to the countryside to sing the greatness of the people's Republic. That looked a bit too much like propaganda to me.
Rating: 4 /10