Film Review: Sunny Days

As an 80s-born person, it may not be entirely suitable for me to review this film, since it’s about my parents’ generation. However, this film is about youth, not about the era. Although the circumstances may be different, the state of mind remains the same, so I’ll share my thoughts on this film from my own perspective.

The overall tone of the film is a somewhat dazzling yellow-green color with a hint of white, a kind of artificial sunlight that pervades the entire film, giving it a restless feel. Accompanied by the old songs and images of that time, a grand tapestry of young boys and girls unfolds before me, set against the backdrop of a special time and environment. I really like the tone of the cinematography, with its yellow and green hues intertwined, just like everyone’s youth - constantly burning while still retaining a hint of greenness. The opening scene, where they play pranks on their teacher during class, made me realize that everyone’s youthful years are pretty much the same. The mischievous and playful behavior is indeed unique to those youthful years. However, perhaps the film is not just about these things; the scorching sunlight may be just my illusion. Those red years may not have been as beautiful as they seem, at least not within my understanding, but the film deliberately downplays the cruelty of that era, only hinting at it when the teacher feels helpless towards the group of kids.

I really like the male lead, Ma Xiaojun, who shares a common ground with me - we both have two worlds in our lives. One is reality, and the other is deeply buried in our hearts. In that world, we can be heroes, imagine a stick as a giant sword, and be silly, rich, and moving, even to those who have “been around.” At this point, I felt a strong sense of identification with the film. Later, Ma Xiaojun risks his life to climb to the top of the chimney and jumps off, just to get Milan’s attention. His focused and happy expression when picking up a long hair from Milan’s bed, and his imagination of Milan’s photo as if she were wearing a swimsuit, made me vaguely recall some moments from my elementary school days, which were surprisingly similar.

I haven’t read Wang Shuo’s original novel, so I won’t judge whether this adaptation can capture the essence of the original work. But I’m sure I love the way the film portrays “that” era (which may not be realistic). The film focuses on growth, which perfectly captures our own growing process.

However, the film ultimately presents us with “reality.” First, after Ma Xiaojun falls into the water, he makes effort after effort to approach the shore, only to be kicked back into the water each time he gets close. The elegant music and clean visuals accompany his futile efforts, evoking the word “reality” in my mind. Now is not the revolutionary era, and reality is not that bitter, but it still “elegantly” tortures us time and time again. Secondly, the film’s ending, with its black-and-white tone, made my vision blur, as if time had reversed. Ma Xiaojun has grown up, and he and his friends have become successful, heroic, and wealthy, drinking high-end wine and driving luxury cars. I can no longer find the familiar Ma Xiaojun. After youth has faded, those sunny days are gone. Gu Lunmu no longer responds to “glum glum” with “ou ba ou ba.”

The phrase “傻B” (a harsh curse) seems to have torn apart everything from the past, and I have to admire this dark humor - a simple sentence that instantly shatters the poetic perfection.

And so, those sunny days are gone, never to return.