Red Cherry...
The cover and the story are definitely two different things. I won't give the story away, but please rent this if you can before you choose to buy it...that's all I'll say on this one...3 stars for the acting

best film
thats the best film that I have ever seen. Every sequence touches my heart.

beautiful thought provoking movie
a wonderful story based on real people. Well done and I highly recommend this movie. If you like it you will LOVE the Yugoslavian movie called
THE GREAT WATER which is a similar story of Russian ideology in an orphanage in Yugoslavia. I highly recommend both. Beautiful!
barb

Beautiful film plus a question on aspect ratio
This is a stunningly beautiful film from the standpoint of cinematography and direction.
Like other viewers, I would caution that it is a strong story. It also takes a decent attention span because it's a story for grown ups. Tiny-attention-span adolescents who just want to watch special effects ought to select something else to buy. Those of us who increasingly are having to search out films from other countries because we can no longer bear to watch the junk coming out of Hollywood will find this beautiful and moving film a feast. At least one reviewer here has questioned the truth of parts of the story; I really don't care, because it stands on its own as a fascinating and complex tale full of visual metaphor and excellent acting. There have been many dozens of brilliant films coming out of China for the last two decades and this is high on the list.

I do have one question: The description given for this version says that it is letterboxed and in widescreen. Then, further down, it says that the aspect ratio is 1.33 to 1. I assume the latter is an error. Can anyone verify the actual aspect ratio please. I would like to buy another copy as a gift, but I certainly don't want to get stuck with a chopped off aspect ration version. Help?

A wonderful film except for....
I would have given this film 5 stars, but what is disturbing is that the claims that it was based on a true story are only partly true. Yes, the film was based on the true story of Zhu De's daughter Zhu Min, who went to the Soviet International Children's School at the age of 14. The film crew had contacted her and obtained her consent when making the film. But the most horrific and most unforgettable part was fictional (and there's the rub). Moreover, her father, Zhu De was not executed in China as a communist before the war. He became an important military figure and later leader in the government. (1954-59) as deputy chairman of the People's Republic of China. He was chairman of the National People's Congress (1959 -67), Communist China's major legislative body, until denounced during the Cultural Revolution . He was restored to his posts in 1971 and died in 1976. From what I understand, it is not unusual in China to call a story "true," despite the facts.