Review of Crosscurrent (2016) by Facebook U — 27 Oct 2016

This gorgeously filmed journey in search of the head waters of China's Yangtze River presents a beautiful metaphor of the nation's political, economic, cultural and spiritual history, reflected through the encounters of a young boat captain with a series of female apparitions. In doing so, the picture attempts to fill in some of the knowledge gaps of Chinese viewers (especially younger ones) who may not be aware of much of their country's heritage prior to the Communist revolution.

Unfortunately, the film's rather poetically cryptic narrative -- as beautiful as it might be -- misses the mark in fulfilling its intent of promoting historical and cultural understanding, often leaving viewers more baffled than enlightened. Still, it's nice to look at, so enjoy the cinematography and the picture's emotive soundtrack, which are arguably worth the price of admission alone.