The most beautiful love story in the Netflix library and one of the most beautiful in the history of cinema

With her directorial debut, former actress and singer René Liu presents us with “Pearls in the Sea” (2018), a film that paints a raw portrait of love in its purest and most devastating form. The story follows Jian-qing and Xiao-xiao, two strangers who fall in love during a train journey in China, an encounter that triggers a decade of mismatches and mismatches.

Addressing the complexity of love, we recall great literary works such as “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), which details a scandalous love affair that culminates in tragedy. Like this immortal story, “Pérolas no Mar” enters the universe of love, which is a paradoxically beautiful and brutal experience. This duality is captured by the iconic Brazilian poet, Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980), in his “Soneto de Fidelidade”, and by the Portuguese thinker Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), who described love as ridiculous.

In the Asian cinema scene, the delicate and intense narrative of “Pearls in the Sea” stands out. The Orient has always been capable of producing original love stories, of which renowned filmmakers such as the Chinese Wong Kar-Wai and the Japanese Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) are exponents.

Unlike other love stories, “Pérolas no Mar” does not seek to justify the love failure or deny the circumstances that led to the outcome. In fact, the work exposes how devastating the end of a love can be, in such a palpable way that it is almost possible to feel the pain of the protagonists.

Liu’s ability to explore the multifaceted facets of love is evident. She illuminates the complexity of feeling, both in moments of joy and in sadness, creating a story that captures the essence of love in a delicate, yet profoundly impactful way.

In the film, we see Jian-qing and Xiao-xiao confronted with life’s difficulties, and how they shape their perceptions of love. Jian-qing, a programming student, creates a game inspired by Xiao-xiao, symbolizing how love can transform reality. Xiao-xiao, on the other hand, yearns for financial security, even if it means sacrificing love.

The stories of these characters can be seen as a mirror of the real struggles faced by many. In the end, “Pearls in the Sea” teaches us a valuable lesson: love is a complicated feeling that cannot be easily defined, and is often influenced by circumstances beyond our control.

“Pearls in the Sea” is more than just a movie, it is a profound meditation on the nature of love, showing that, as painful as it can be, the experience of love is an essential part of the human condition.

Depicting the dichotomy of love and reality, “Pearls in the Sea” shows that Jian-qing and Xiao-xiao need to face crucial issues before succumbing to their love vows. Jian-qing, a programming student in Beijing, aims to develop a game project that will free him from the miserable pension where he lives. Xiao-xiao, on the other hand, does not have the same intellectual or technological privilege and is content to find a rich boyfriend to provide her with financial stability.

Jian-qing’s use of metalanguage throughout Jian-qing’s game could fall into tedious clichés, as could Xiao-xiao’s submissive notion of love. However, director Liu deftly dismantles and invalidates these clichés, arguing that the game is an inspiration from Xiao-xiao’s own life, making her his muse.

Jian-qing and Xiao-xiao’s story could have turned into a true romance if Jian-qing had boarded the subway with her, thus avoiding their separation. However, even if that had happened, the two would face the same material and emotional difficulties, only in a different location, deprived of their lost youth.

The symbolic depiction of a character departing someone else’s life, physically boarding a vehicle, is a powerful and lyrical cliché that has been played out repeatedly in film history. However, life, as expressed by Xiao-xiao’s character in René Liu’s film, never submits to our will. In reality, life imposes its own path, accepting that some pearls, like Jian-qing and Xiao-xiao’s love, must remain at the bottom of the ocean.

In summary, “Pearls in the Sea”, directed by René Liu, offers an emotional and, at times, painfully realistic lens through which to examine love, desires, needs and the reality of life. This masterpiece of the Asian film industry managed to build a touching and genuine narrative that cannot fail to touch the heart of the audience.

Film: Pearls in the Sea
Direction: René Liu
Year: 2018
genres: Romance
note: 10/10