Aftershock - 唐山大地震

Aftershock (唐山大地震) is an 2010 film out of Zhong Guo. The film stars Xu Fan, Zhang Jingchu, Li Chen, Chen Daoming, and Lu Yi. The movie takes place at the start movie with the 1976 Tangshan earthquake and ends with the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

A family of 4 live life in the summer 1976 in the Tangshan region of Zhong Guo. Mom, Dad, Older Sister, and Younger Brother make it go at life everyday. On the night of the 1976 earthquake, the mom, older sister, and younger brother survive. The dad is killed running into the building to save the kids. During the rescue, the workers ask the mom to decide whom to save as the stone on top of both of them would kill the other if moved. The mom doesn't choose. When the workers start to leave, the mom announces to save the brother. As luck would have it, the sister's body is laid down with the rest of the deceased bodies. But the sister wakes up and walks around, before being picked up by the military workers. The mom and brother make it through the end of the 70s and 80s in the general area of Tangshan. The sister is adopted and raised by a military couple. The brother also lost an arm in the earthquake. The story diverges into the lives of the three. The hardships of life and their eventual reunion during the 2008 earthquake.



This movie was well made. The fictional storyline seemed very plausible and the parallel lives apart showed a sense of lost and longing for family. Xu Fan and Zhang Jingchu really carry the emotional weight of the film. Zhang's rebel attitude and immigrant life harken to those that I might run into here in LA. The live of the ever faithful wife played by Xu is tragic and yet heart warming at the same time.

As a movie based on a tragic event, the movie does try to bring out some positives. The reunion of a family and the process of healing after mother nature speaks up.