Jingzhe (Film)

Jingzhe (released in Chinese as 惊蛰) is a 2004 Chinese dramatic film directed by Wang Quan'an. The production stars actress Yu Nan in the title role of Ermei. The film has a runtime of 104 minutes, was spoken in Mandarin, and premiered on April 4, 2004.

Promotional poster for the film The Story of Ermei featuring Yu Nan — Promotional poster for The Story of Ermei

Plot

Twenty-year-old Ermei resides in a village in northern China. Her family faces acute financial strain while her grandfather is on his deathbed. Unable to afford a proper cypress wood coffin, her father attempts to cut down a cypress tree in the woods, resulting in a government fine. To alleviate their financial difficulties, the family arranges to marry Ermei to a villager named Zhang Suo in exchange for a dowry.

Ermei flees the village for a nearby town, finding employment in a restaurant. She reconnects with a friend, Maonu, who introduces her to a young man named Liangsheng. Following emotional distress caused by Liangsheng's infidelity, Ermei returns to her village, proceeds with the marriage to Zhang Suo, and gives birth to a son. Confronted with rural hardship, grueling labor, and her alcoholic husband's apathy, her life remains difficult. When her son falls ill on New Year's Day, she travels to town to find a doctor, discovering that Maonu has moved to southern China. Afterward, Ermei returns to her rural life.

Cast

Yu Nan as Ermei
Yanbing Liu
Su Yan