This film tells the story of innocence and love. It's is not overly sentimental and performances are honest and sincere. The change in color is very symbolic as happy memories are depicted with plush colors. Zhang Ziyi as Zhao Di is really great here as her determination, will, and very giving nature makes her all the more likeable. Her sweet smile is very infectious! I was moved when she accidentally falls and drops here bag while running; emphasized the whole importance of the bowl. Very moving scene.

Director Zhang Yimou deserves credit for beautifully telling the story. Simple things (changing color of season from spring to winter) make for some stunning visuals like wheat fields flowing with the breeze and brightly leaf filled forests. Add a serene soundtrack and this is a movie worth seeing. See it for my sweetie Zhang Ziyi!

For fans of faster-paced movies, be forewarned: this is extremely slow. For others who love a beautifully-filmed movie or a touching romance story, this Chinese film will do nicely.

Zhang Ziyi, who has now become an International star thanks to Crouching Tiger, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and Memoirs Of A Geisha, never looked prettier and more appealing than here. Maybe that's because she plays such a sweet, innocent, non-violent (no martial arts here) character: a woman smitten with a new teacher in town and one who will go any lengths (in a totally pure sense) to be noticed and attract this man, mainly in the form of incredible patience.

This is one of the prettiest movies I've seen on DVD. It helps to be a fan of Ziyi and appreciate her beauty, because there are many shots of her face as she just stares looking for her man. This character gives new meanings to the words faithful, steadfast and devotion.

The film is actually two stories: the here-and-now about an old man and woman, and a long flashback telling the love story of how they met. In the first segment, the man had just died and the woman is grieving and making funeral arrangements. They involve walking with the casket a long way home, hence the title. The middle part of the film, the romance, features Ziyi. That middle segment - the courtship - is in brilliant, almost stunning-looking color. The beginning and end of the film are both in black-and-white. The cinematography for both parts is magnificent.

"Road Home" is a simple and yet very sweet and very touching account of the lifelong romance between Di and Yusheng. It's a love at first sight concept, as 20 year old Yusheng comes as teacher to an isolated rural village and meets 18 year old Di. The movie recounts the development of their romance against many obstacles that seemed to be working against them.

The heart of the movie is essentially a flashback, as Changyu (Yusheng and Di's son) returns to the village after his father's death and from that visit the story of his parents early love is told. Director Zhang Yimou used a very effective technique of filming the "current" scenes at the beginning and end of the movie in black and white, while the flashback portion was filmed in vivid colour.

Essentially a story about the power of love, it is a simple story, not filled with excitement, but rather with a sort of innocence as these two young people fall in love with each other. This would have to count as truly one of the better romances I've ever seen. 9/10