Yes. More sad than 82% of well-known films. This describes how the film comes across as a whole, measured against other well-known films; it is not a content list.

Is The Herdsman violent?

Barely. Less violent than 76% of well-known films. This describes how the film comes across as a whole, measured against other well-known films; it is not a content list.

Is The Herdsman scary?

Not especially. Less frightening than 65% of well-known films. This describes how the film comes across as a whole, measured against other well-known films; it is not a content list.

Is The Herdsman easy watching?

Somewhat. More comforting than 62% of well-known films. This describes how the film comes across as a whole, measured against other well-known films; it is not a content list.

Does The Herdsman end with hope?

About average. Almost exactly mid-range for a well-known film. This describes how the film comes across as a whole, measured against other well-known films; it is not a content list.

The Herdsman

Name: The Herdsman
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 1982
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 7.6
Cast: Xie Jin, Zhu Shimao, Cong Shan, Liu Qiong, Niu Ben

Directed by Xie Jin

Produced by Shanghai Film Studio

1982103 min7.6 / 10

A reflective drama about estrangement and redemption, where a man's hard-won life on the grasslands is tested by his father's unexpected return and competing visions of the future.

In 1980, Xu Jingshan, a wealthy Chinese-American businessman returns to China to find his son, Xu Lingjun, whom he had abandoned over 30 years earlier. Labeled a rightist because of his capitalist father, Lingjun has been forced to live as a humble herdsman on the grasslands. His bitter life has been transformed by a happy marriage to the wise and beautiful Xiuzhi, and more recently by his rehabilitation by the Party. When he goes to Beijing for their reunion, he discovers his father wants him to work for his chemical company in San Francisco. Lingjun tells the story of his life to his father, as he ponders his future.

Clusters

Bittersweet Doomed Romances Slow Character Dramas About Loneliness Ordinary Lives During Historic Events Love Tested by Mortality East Asian History & Culture

Genres

Drama Romance

Keywords

China Zealous Culture Revolution

Questions people ask

Is The Herdsman sad? Yes. More sad than 82% of films.
Is The Herdsman violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.
Is The Herdsman scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 65% of films.
Is The Herdsman easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 62% of films.
Does The Herdsman end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

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