Learn Chinese with Ms. Zhou

While watching this movie, please keep this list of questions in mind. For homework , answer these questions after the movie.

1). The movie “the road home” tells a simple love story between a village girl (Zhao Di – played by Zhang Ziyi) and the village school teacher (Luo Changyu). How is the story told in terms of the time sequence? Through which person’s perspective is the story told? What other movies have you seen which used similar techniques?

2). How does the movie differentiate the present time from the past? Why do you think the director planned the movie this way?

3). What caused the father’s death?

4). The movie title is “the road home”. To whom is this “returning home” referring to? (can you think of more than one person?)

5). What’s the significance of carrying the body home by foot instead of by car? In a western funeral, what’s the usual practice? Is it similar or different than the Chinese traditional way?

6). In terms of the Chinese rural village life style, do they eat meals sitting on chairs? How are they dressed? What kind of clothes or accessary do they wear or not wear? How do they get water for daily use? What other aspects of their lives are quite different from your lives?

7). In the movie, the narrator mentioned that traditionally women were not allowed to do certain activities. What are some such activities? Why women were not allowed to participate? In American history, were there restrictions for women as well?

8). How does Zhao Di express her feelings towards Luo Changyu? If you were Zhao Di, what would you do?

9). What’s the most touching scene for you? Why?

10). What’s the significance of the food made by Zhao Di?

11). What is Luo Changyu’s gift to Zhao Di? Do you think that’s a significant gift?

12). There is a pottery repair man in the movie. Why did the mother of Zhao Di pay him to repair the bowl? Is there such a profession here? Based on your observation from the movie on how he repairs things, why do you think it became an obsolete profession now?