Message from syamada

[Anonymous]

I too viewed "Together" and enjoyed it immensely. The music was enthralling. A 13-year-old child prodigy, Xiaochun (Chun), and his father leave their provincial town and seek better opportunities in cosmopolitan Beijing. Chun surprised me in his sophistication. He advises his father on what to wear to the big city, Beijing; once there, he becomes infatuated with and befriends a modern woman and advises her on what to wear on the evening of a birthday celebration for her boyfriend. After starting lessons with a violin teacher, Professor Jiang, Chun bluntly tells him that he smells worse than his cats and points out that he never changes clothes. Chun also intervenes when Mr. Jiang has an argument with his neighbor. (It seems to me that Chung is unnecessarily depicted as wise beyond his years.)

The second violin teacher is selfish and dreams of accolades for himself, being connected to a talent such as Chun. Chun and his father are ridiculed as "peasants," reflecting the stratification of Chinese society, and there are several scenes of money being offered and either accepted or rejected by various characters. Money is also a factor in the outcome of the first competition.

There are themes of parental sacrifice, friendship, and love between father and son. It is ultimately this strong bond of love that determines the direction of their future together. Overall, an upbeat tear jerker with great casting and great music.