Overview
A poignant journey through love and loss, where the past intertwines with the present.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tender
- nostalgic
- wistful
- quiet evening
- romantic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully photographed, simple, tender, and emotionally touching love story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Luo Yusheng's return for his father's funeral frames his memories of how his parents met and fell in love.
The mother's insistence on traditional burial customs makes the funeral a collective act of honoring family and village continuity.
The film's visual style and North Chinese village setting carry much of the tenderness and emotional meaning of the courtship.
Yusheng's bereavement and his mother's determination to preserve the burial tradition link private loss to intergenerational remembrance.
Films like The Road Home, and why
Raise the Red Lantern
tender rural romance, restrained melodrama, and memory-shaped storytelling
A Chronicle of a Love Affair
period Chinese romance with lyrical imagery, social tradition, and emotional restraint
Cinema Paradiso
poignant love story shaped by family memory, loss, and changing social circumstances
In the Mood for Love
quiet romantic drama centered on longing, remembrance, and visually expressive filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Zhang Yimou
- Release Date
- 1999-10-16
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (238)
Cast
- Zhang Ziyi
- Zheng Hao
- Yulian Zhao
- Sun Honglei
- Li Bin
- Song Yuncheng
- Guifa Chang
- Wencheng Sung
- Liu Qi
- Ji Bo
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Road Home about?
- A grieving son returns to a North Chinese village, where his mother's funeral ritual reopens the tender story of his parents' first love.
- What is The Road Home like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Road Home as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Road Home violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Road Home.
- What did critics think of The Road Home?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully photographed, simple, tender, and emotionally touching love story.
- Which films are like The Road Home?
- Films with a similar feel include Raise the Red Lantern, A Chronicle of a Love Affair, Cinema Paradiso, and In the Mood for Love.
- How long is The Road Home?
- The Road Home runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Road Home?
- In United States, The Road Home is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
