SUMMARY: A film that not only was banned in China, but resulted in a ten-year prohibition on filmmaking for the director, The Blue Kite tells the story of a poor family living through the early years of Mao's rule, continuing through the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. The main character is the boy, Tietou, who tells the story of his youth through voiceover narration.

SCENE-BY-SCENE (Contains Spoilers):The film opens with a shot of a kite in the sky over the sound of a child singing. This song will serve as a kind of refrain for the film.

The first real scene begins with shots of a village at early morning; the voiceover identifies the location as Dry Well Lane, where "I grew up."

We see furniture being delivered to a small house by a group of friends. The woman who owns the house asks a man and woman in the group (Shaolong and Shujuan) if they have chosen a date; they answer March 8. Then, from a radio, we here the announcement of Stalin's death (March 5, 1953). The voiceover tells us that because of this, the wedding had to be postponed for several days.

An inter-title identifies the first section of film as "Dad."

The next scene is the wedding ceremony, which is taking place in a house in the village. Officiant, announcing that the wedding is about to begin, asks everyone to "pay your respects to Chairman Mao," whose portrait is on the wall. The officiant then announces that the bride and groom "will perform something for us." Shujuan and Shaolong begin singing communist song about workers and progress; the wedding guests join in. In the midst of the song, we see the head fall off of a small horse that Li Guodong ("Uncle Li") has brought as a gift for the couple.

In the house of the newlyweds, Shujuan shows her husband a new dress (cheungsam) that her mother made for her wedding. Shaolong brings a red cloth, asks wife to wear it like a veil, as people did in the past; they act silly together. The scene suggests a happy couple, pleased to be married and living together.

Ahead to scene of mother and grandmother with a baby; the voiceover identifies this as "me," and discusses the various names that were suggested for him. The name eventually chosen is Tietou ("Iron Head").

The next scene begins with children playing outside. A parade arrives, carrying banners advocating joint ownership of businesses. The group goes to house of couple's landlady, Mrs. Lan; its leader reads from a pamphlet about the virtues of joint ownership. Mrs. Lan responds that the state is already joint owner of her property, and that she has lowered everyone's rent. The parade leader seems satisfied, and points out that "we are just going down the list."

In the home of Shujuan and Shaolong, Shujuan's brother, Shusheng, arrives with a girl, Zhu Ying; both are in army uniform. Shusheng reveals that he intends to marry Zhu Ying; she says that he wanted to introduce her to his sister before his parents. Shusheng points out in passing that he is having trouble with his eyes.

The next scene begins with the image of a child trying to get kite out of tree; he has climbed very high, dismaying the adults who see him. Mrs. Lan has received letter from her son, telling her that despite collectivization, they will continue to count as entrepreneurs rather than workers, and cannot change their class status.

A woman walks through the village, announcing a meeting about "rectification" in house No. 9. (This refers to the Hundred Flowers Campaign of 1956, in which citizens were encouraged to voice criticisms of government programs). In the following scene, Shujuan and Shaolong are eating dinner with Shusheng and another bother (Shuyan); Suhyan tells the other two men that they missed a meeting, and announces that he voiced an opinion— "just something against bureaucratism"— in the name of the three of them. The other two are concerned, despite his assurances that "Comrade Wang sincerely wanted us to offer our opinions."

There follows a series of short establishing scenes. We see the army facility where Shusheng works, and that he is bothered by bright light. Next, there is a group of soldiers watching propaganda play about military heroism. Then we see the family at dinner, where Tietou spoils a drawing Shuyan has done for a class.

Shusheng visits a doctor, who tells him to avoid any stress to keep his eyes from getting worse. He debates telling Zhu Ying about his eyesight, and wonders whether he will be able to stay in the army.

We begin to see denouncements of people who criticize the party; party members argue that these people are using the rectification movement to "incite class struggle." (This indicates the movement from the Hundred Flowers Campaign to the Anti-Rightist Campaign of the following year, in which the Mao government dramatically shifted course and cracked down on those critical of the government). This results in tension within the family. At a meeting of soldiers, including Shusheng, a list of people to be "rectified" is read out; one man kills himself when his name is called.

In the next scene, we see a meeting at the town's library, one of whose staff has been denounced as a rightist. Shaolong chooses very poor moment to go to the bathroom, and is apparently denounced as a rightist himself. At home, he tells Shujuan about what has happened; she is upset and not particularly sympathetic. Outside, Tietou breaks a window, and Shaolong, already very upset by his denouncement, carries Tietou inside and spanks him, leading to a fight with Shujuan. In the following scene, Tietou plays at the window with toy gun, pretending to shoot Shaolong, who is shoveling coal outside. Says "Daddy's bad. I'm going to kill him." Shujuan assures Tietou that Shaolong only hit him because he lost his temper. We then cut to Shaolong getting on a train to go for re-education/work; we learn from the voiceover that Shuyan was also sent away.

Zhu Ying is working in a factory; Shusheng comes to see her, and we learn that she left without telling him, taking a transfer to another job (out of the army), but can't really explain why.

At home, the family sit together listening to Shujuan's sister read a letter from Shuyan; we learn that Shaolong has not written. Cut to Shujuan picking up Tietou from granny's house, where she learns that he has been begging for food for some reason. Arriving home, Shujuan finds that she has finally received a letter from Shaolong.

Shujuan meets again with Zhu Ying, who tries to explain why she left the army; she says she is "afraid" and "apprehensive" In the next scene, we see her arrested at the factory for "counter-revolutionary crimes."

A registered letter arrives for Shujuan; Tietou is the one to receive it. Later that day, we see him reading it to the family. We learn from voiceover that Shaolong has been killed by a falling tree.

An inter-title announces the beginning of part two, entitled "Uncle"

The people of the village are asked to make as much noise as possible to scare away ("exterminate") sparrows. One older kid catches a sparrow, and gives it to Tietou, who lets it go (on purpose?). He is quite a bit older now.

Shujuan has to go labor in the countryside for three months to "assist in agricultural production." Tietou is to stay with his grandmother, but will spend his days with "Granny," an older woman who watches several children during the day.

In the next scene, the villagers are eating the the communal kitchen. There seems to be lots of food to go around, but there is mention of the Great Leap Forward, which will devastate China's agricultural production and lead to a massive famine.

At home with his grandmother, Shusheng, and "Sis," Tietou is angry about his mother's absence, calls her names. Shusheng voices complaints about the way things are being done, like the fact that Shujuan had to go away to labor when she is a single parent, the fact that the "communal kitchens waste untold amounts of food," and the inefficient methods of smelting waste steel. "Sis" tells him to be careful, and that his talk is "reactionary." We also learn that Shusheng is excused from work for medical reasons (presumably his eyes).

Shujuan, her labor period completed, returns home on the train; Tietou is happy to see her. In the following scene, we see Tietou sick in bed; mother prays for him.

Later, Shujuan finds that Tietou has found a doll that Guodong ("Uncle Li") gave Shujuan and Shaolong for their wedding; she gets out the red cloth that Shaolong used to cover her head, and they talk about all of the people they once knew who are gone. Guodong reveals that he wrote a report that led to the arrest of Shaolong and Li Yunwei; calls himself a "criminal." Shujuan already knows about the report; says that Shaolong told her about it, and said in his letters not to blame Guodong, who "had no choice."

At Grandma's house, "Sis" tells Shujuan that she needs to get over Shaolong (who has been dead for more than three years) and move on, as the best thing for her child.

In the next scene, people are lined up for soup; there seems not to be enough to go around. Mrs. Lan is discovered to be baking a large number of rolls, and is accused of buying flour on the black market (she says she has saved it a little at a time from her rations). The rolls are confiscated.

Back at Shujuan and Tietou's house, we learn that Guodong as applied to join the party. That evening, he collapses while playing with Tietou; he attributes this to "an old illness."

Later, outside, Tietou is cornered by a group of boys, and yelled at for picking on one of them. Shujuan and Grandma come out and the boys scatter. Shusheng arrives; we learn that he is no longer in the army. He plans to visit Zhu Ying soon. In the following scene, we see him in the visiting room at the prison with Zhu Ying. She does not appear to be doing well, and tells Shusheng not to wait for her.

Guodong arrives and Shujuan's house, bringing food from his parents; he still appears quite ill. He discusses, again, his guilt about Shaolong, and the sense of obligation he feels toward Shujuan and Tietou. Shujuan is insulted; she feels he is treating them like a "charity case"; he insists that is not his intention. It becomes clear that she believed him to be in love with her (and this seems pretty obviously true).The following scene opens with Shusheng taking a picture of everyone from the courtyard, and the voiceover tells us that Shujuan and Guodong have gotten married.

Some time later, the residents of the courtyard are celebrating the New Year, exchanging dumplings and gifts. Tietou goes out to set off firecrackers after Guodong and Shujuan light his lanterns for him. The voiceover explains that they have gotten through the "three bad years, when there wasn't enough to eat." Playing hide and seek, someone throws a firecracker near Tietou, startling him so that he drops his lantern and it burns up. Guodong promises to buy him a new one; he then collapses, dropping a tray of dumplings.

The following scene opens with a shot of kids arriving at school; Tietou's voiceover tells us that Guodong was sick enough to be hospitalized, and that he died after two months from a problem with his liver. Shujuan and Tietou have moved in with Grandma, abandoning the house in the courtyard.

The next section, entitled "Stepfather," begins

Shuyan visits the family; he is working as a teacher, and has brought home a girl. Tietou, now quite a bit older, enters, and we hear that he now stays away from home all day, returning only for meals. He is able to recognize Shuyan, whom he still calls "Little Uncle."

In the next scene, Tietou is hanging out with several other boys He gets in a fight with one of them, who does not like his teasing. We then see Tietou at home, being scolded by his mother, with a tissue in his nose from the fight.

Tietou and Shujuan leave the village in a car. Tietou's voiceover tells us that Shujuan has gotten married again, this time to "an old comrade-in-arms of Auntie's"; she says she has done this for Tietou's sake. Tietou, in voiceover, also reveals that Shusheng and Grandma do not approve of the marriage— and that it was the first time he ever rode in a car.

The new family home is a fairly large, more western-style house in a more urban area. Shujuan's new husband, Lao Wu, is clearly much wealthier. He seems to work all day at his desk.

The following scenes reveal Tietou to be a sullen, disobedient boy, who has a bad relationship with Lao Wu. He lies to friends from home about his relations with his new step-father, but tells his mother that he wants to go back to Grandma's to stay. Shujuan admits that she is not very happy either.

Later, Tietou returns home to find that Lao Wu's (much older) children from a previous marriage are there. He agrees to take one of his stepbrother's children, Niuniu (who calls him "Little Uncle") kite flying. Later, her father gets a blue kite stuck in a tree; Tietou promises to make her another one (here, in some way, taking on the role of his father, who gave him a blue kite when he was small).

Tietou visits the village to find that all of the kids are skipping school and all the parents staying home from work. Shouting "boycott classes," the children throw rocks through the windows of the school. A bit later, see the principal being "struggled," with all of the students cheering. When Tietou reports his participation in these events to his mother, she slaps him.

We also learn in this segment that Zhu Ying has been released from prison. In the following scene, Shujuan, Shusheng, and Tietou eat dinner with Zhu Ying; we later see her boarding a train to go and visit her parents.

Tietou again visits the old courtyard, and learns that most of his old neighbors are gone; Mrs. Lan has been forced to leave and go to live with her parents. Later, there is nnother dinner with the family, at which they meet Shuyan's new wife (this is not the girl he brought home earlier, who "had a bad class background").

Back at Lao Wu's house, he tells Tietou and Shujuan that he is likely to be denounced soon. He proposes that they get divorced to protect them from the effects. Tietou and Shujuan visit grandma; they learn from an overheard conversation that "Sis" has also be subjected to "eight struggle sessions."

Lao Wu is struggled— forced out of bed, the house covered with posters and slogans. Shujuan tries to stop them, telling them he has a heart condition, but is taken away herself for being married to Lao Wu. Tietou breaks a brick over the head of one of the soldiers, and is beaten badly for it. Looking up from the ground after the beating, he sees the blue kite still stuck in the tree. Tietou's voiceover says that Lao Wu died a few days later of a heart attack, and Shujuan was "sent to labor reform as a counter-revolutionary."

The film closes with a long shot of the tattered kite in the tree, over the song from the beginning, sung at first by young Tietou, then an instrumental version.