I stumbled upon the 2010 movie "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" by random chance in 2021, and given the fact that I hadn't already seen it, of course I took the time to sit down and watch the movie, as it is an Asian movie after all.
And let me just say that "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" turned out to be much more enjoyable than I had initially anticipated. I read that the movie was a listed as a romantic comedy, but it didn't take long before figuring out that the source of information was wrong, because this was by no means a comedy. Nay, this was a romantic drama.
The storyline told in "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" was rather interesting. Set in World War II, an American pilot parachutes from an ill-fated airplane over Tibet. Marooned and impending doom encroaching, the pilot finds himself in the care of Yongcho. While unable to communicate, the two find a shared bond and come to rely upon one another.
"Once Upon a Time in Tibet" is a somewhat slow-paced movie, where director Wei Dai takes a long time to portray the storyline as written by Zarshi Dhawa. So this movie might be to some people's liking, while not falling into good grace with others. I happened to enjoy it, because it was a profound and moving storyline, despite it being slow paced.
There isn't a whole lot of actors and actresses in the movie, so there was a bigger burden to put on performances to carry the movie. And I will say that the actors and actresses did manage to do just that. And especially actress Jia Song, playing Yongcho, really performed outstandingly in the movie.
If you enjoy a romantic drama that has a solid and good story to tell, one that actually leaves a lasting impression, then you should sit down to watch "Once Upon a Time in Tibet", if you get the chance.
My rating of "Once Upon a Time in Tibet" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.
6.6Plot summary
At the beginning of World War II, American pilot Robert Smith is taking part in the effort to help China fight against the Japanese forces. During a liaison cargo mission from India to China, his cargo plane crashes somewhere in Tibet. Yongcho is a young single mother, and the tribe she belongs to is the descendant of the Evil Kingdom, which was conquered by the hero-Gesar King many years ago. Since her earliest age, she's been a castaway by her own tribe, because she is thought a "cursed woman" as an incarnation of evil. After surviving the crash, Robert tries to find his way back to his force, but the harsh elements are almost stronger than his will to survive: he finds himself snow-blind and finally falls in a faint in the blizzard. Robert follows the footprint of people and arrives at the tribe. Fair-haired Robert is regarded as a "monster" by the tribe. People think that the arrival of a stranger is considered another bad omen, so Yongcho, the "cursed woman", is charged with the duty of taking care of him and sending him away after he recovers. In this environment, where there is little room for individual feelings and nature is often hostile, both Robert and Yongcho will learn to know each other as well as themselves. Now, together and stronger than ever before, these two lost souls can fulfill their destiny in this unique journey.
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