User Reviews

I liked this movie. The story is interesting, woman-centered, Yu Nan's acting is excellent, the social commentary is interesting, the non urban setting is a refreshing change from the usual stuff, without making a travel guide of the film at all. It also combines drama and humor in a nice way. It doesn't become melodramatic, thank God. The end of the story is poised between happy and sad, which is how life is in the majority of the cases. Now, some specific negative points:

I would prefer the film to be in the Mongolian language, too.

The family looks very poor, they only have a small herd of sheep, yet they own a camel, a horse and a donkey. I'm not an expert on this, but it looks as too much to me, compared with the number of the income-generating sheep.

The scene where Shenge catches up with the Mercedes on the highway by riding on a horse is absurd. What's more, Shenge didn't even know the whereabouts of Tuya and her prospective husband at that moment.

When Tuya, Shenge, Maoter and the kids return home from the above failed matching, Tuya starts again herding her sheep and all. But, since they had previously left their home supposedly forever, they should have sold everything: sheep, camel, house, etc. So that's absurd too.

At the final wedding scene, it's impossible that Maoter (the ex-husband) would disrupt the proper procedure of the ceremony by starting to sing his own tune. Why? Well, because, first, he himself had prodded Tuya since the beginning to find a new husband; second, he later actively approved of this specific husband, namely Shenge; third, earlier in the film this Shenge had practically saved his life after his suicide attempt in the asylum, and then he had even brought his wife back. And Maoter is a very good, quiet, logical person. So his reaction is illogical and unbelievable, even allowing for the effect of the additional cup of alcohol : too much is at stake. The screenwriters should have found here another idea to convey their message that even after this happy ending life will not be cloudless within the new household. Tuya's boy fighting with a neighbor boy because the latter scolded him for having "two fathers" is, on the contrary, a much more successful idea that serves the same purpose.

Though some may consider Tuya's Marriage as an art film, it is more like a depiction of the society in inner-Mongolia, China. Based on the amount of Chinese literary and film works, the story itself of a woman marrying another man to support her Ex is not uncommon in the more aboriginal areas in China. But the way this picture filmed Tuya's story: Tuya's camel compared to Sen'ge's motorcycle and truck, and the rich suitor's Benz; and the trip from the desert to the hotel closer to the city, viewers can see what China is really like now.

I believe that besides telling Tuya's story (which is based on an actual story), the director also wants to show viewers how the semi-modern Chinese society works, and how it has an impact on the lives of people living in different parts of China. Tradition and landscape really isn't the point in this movie, there are many details in here regarding to the characters' daily lives that viewers can compare to themselves, which I believe would be interesting to do. Take myself for example, I live right across the strait from mainland China and I could never imagine myself leading a life in inner-Mongolia like Tuya.

An unexpected gem in the middle of the desert, this quiet drama proves itself fully deserving of its Golden Bear at the 2007 Berlin annual film festival.

Sixth generation, Mainland Chinese film director Wang Quanan once again bands with actor, and ex-partner of ten years, Nan Yu, to turn his attention to the rural side of life in China- a focal point of his 2004 film The Story of Ermei, which told the story of a young Shaanxi peasant girl. This time 'Tuya's Marriage' takes us into the depths of the vast and arid grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Though its plot is fairly straight forward, and dialogue simple, this quiet and understated film stands strong in its realistic portrayal of rural life, natural acting style, and breath taking landscape.

Her husband crippled after digging a well, strong and persevering Tuya must labour, herding sheep and lugging water from a faraway waterhole, to keep her husband and two young children alive. But the young, and still beautiful Tuya can no longer be the sole carrier of her family's burden- she is suffering from lumbar fatigue caused by over exhaustion, and faces possible lower body paralysis. Her husband agrees that she must find a new suitor to marry. This doesn't prove to be so easy though, as Tuya, still faithful to her old husband, is resolute that whoever wishes to marry her must also be prepared to care for him too.

Mainland Chinese born actor Nan Yu is well fitted in her role as the independent Tuya. The fact that Nan Yu spent several months living in rural Mongolia prior to filming has given her a great understanding and confidence in the role and comes off as a genuine Inner Mongolian grasslands shepherdess. Tuya's costume potentially could have swallowed many actors whole- she is swathed in numerous, bulky layers of clothing and wrapped tightly in a head scarf- but Nan Yu's expressive face works to bring Tuya to life.

Tuya is an independent, incredibly strong woman. She is a shepard to the men around her- her disabled husband Baotoer, her likable but foolish friend Shenge who always falls on bad luck, and even her younger son. She has an incredibly strong loyalty towards her husband "The only way I'd leave him is if I became worse than him" and for his sake turns down many suitors who could have been a way out of poverty for her. But there are a few times when we get to see another side of Tuya's tough exterior. My favourite scene is when we see her, taken away from the farm and work, sitting together with her friend Shenge in his brand new truck. Orange light shines on them from the setting sun, and as they look forward into the distance Shenge speaks of the uncertainties of the future. For a moment we see a fragile young woman, no different from ourselves, who is lost in a big, and changing world.

If Nan Yu is the star of the movie, then the landscape would have to be her co-star. Absolutely stunning with it's never ending, barren desert and clear blue skies, the long shots show the vastness of the land and isolation of the characters. The women in the film wear brightly coloured head scarves- pink, red, purple, green- as a way of expressing them selves, and these headscarves are a striking contrast against the often dust coloured backdrop.

The use of music in this film is also truly effective. Traditional string instruments are often used, along with woman singing. The music is only used at the saddest times in the film, and is combined with long, enduring shots of the wild and desolate landscape. This creates a haunting feeling of loneliness and forlornness. Both landscape and music become symbolic of Tuya's situation- she is stranded with no solution in sight.

Tuya's Marriage generally fits into the drama genre. The film deals with realistic and totally believable characters, and explores how social issues such as poverty and alcoholism bring these characters into conflict with themselves, and the others around them. Poverty makes rural farm life in China tough, and relatively simple tasks such as watering the sheep become difficult because lack of adequate equipment- Tuya must travel 30miles a day just to fetch sufficient water. The question of day to day survival forces characters to make decisions that go against every part of their being-it becomes a cruelly ironic when the only way for Tuya to care for her disabled husband, Baotoer, who she loves, is to divorce him. Several of the characters look to alcohol to numb the pain. An older chain-smoking woman, worn out by life's trials, says "I'm raising six by myself with no man; if I didn't drink I don't know what I'd do."

In a sense Tuya's Marriage also becomes a documentary of Mongolian culture and traditional ceremonies, often putting a lot of focus on the landscape, the traditional ceremonies and dress, the music, and traditional foods such as head-to-tail lamb and milk tea. This makes the film a fascinating experience, but my only possible complaint is that this overtakes the films over focus on showing intimate interactions between the characters.

Beautiful and affecting, and often scattered with moments of humour and tenderness, Tuya's Wedding gives us a window into a seldom travelled world through the struggles of one young woman.

Just when the audience decided to sit back and relax to enjoy a plain, slow moving film shot in the Mogolian steppe, they found themselves grabbed by the unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolded.

Tuya was in great trouble. She hurt her back trying to save her neighbor. She had to look for a man to carry on with the work in the farm as her husband, Barter, was crippled. Suitors, including a high school secret admirer, flocked at her doorstep and she was not keen on any of them.

Tuya was about to resign to fate, when she found true love and solutions to her problems. The first scene was an exact duplicate of the last. Tuya shut herself up to weep, but then her new husband called her. She had to get out to face new challenges in her new life.

The exotic Mongolian music, both the singing and the instrumentals, and the shots of the grand steppe, distant mountains and the over hanging full moon added distinct flavor to the movie.

The plot somehow reminded me of Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd". The one was the one nearest to you and the one you had written off completely in the first place.

Unlike the two faux documentaries which people now associate with Mongolian films, TUYA'S MARRIAGE is a well-acted, intricate and layered story about a strong young woman trying to hold her life together. Very like Gong Li in THE STORY OF QIU JU, Yu Nan plays Tuya, a stubborn and beautiful woman faced with an impossible predicament who must find her way through an onslaught of well-meaning (mostly) but ineffectual men to keep her family together. Tuya's affection for and loyalties to her disabled husband Bater are put to the test when she is forced to find a new husband in order to survive. All along the "obvious" choice, Shenge, her foolish but adorable neighbor, keeps trying to be the hero but falling on his face. Tuya must keep saving the men in her life from near disaster: Bater, Shenge (twice), and even her young son. The film becomes the romance/triangle of one woman and two men - much like JULES AND JIM or even FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (co-written by Wei Lu, who also co-wrote TUYA'S MARRIAGE). At the end of the film, her marriage includes both men, but immediately we see that she must continue saving them from themselves - and keeping everything and everybody together.

I feel as though this movie is boring to watch if you want to watch a good movie, but it would be good if viewed as a documentary about Mongolian life. Nothing that happens in this movie is particularly interesting, but it does give you an opportunity to learn about Mongolian life, as well as the role that women play in society. This movie was heavily based around a nomadic Mongolian lifestyle, and showed the struggles that a woman like Tuya faced. Since Tuya's husband was disabled, she had to do most of the work around the house and with the livestock. This movie to me was fairly boring, but I found the aspects of Mongolian life fairly interesting to learn about. Overall I found this movie fairly enjoyable from a documentary aspect, but as a film it was fairly boring with bad acting. I would recommend this movie to somebody who wants to learn about Mongolia.

I would not say that I particularly liked or disliked Tuya's Marriage. This movie is listed as a romantic comedy, though there was romance, the movie was not that funny. There were only two moments where I might have laughed. On the other hand, the movie does hold my attention so much that I would watch it again. I think watching it again would give me a better understanding of what I have sees and possibly catch more "funny" moments.Something I found interesting is how Tuya is able to arrange her own marriage. Usually when you think of an arranged marriage, it is the parents not the persons getting married who sets up the marriage. Not only does she have control of who she marries but she also discusses terms and agreements within the marriage. The ending is also interesting because it is unclear and keeps you guessing. That may be the reason why I or anyone else would want to watch Tuya's Marriage again, to try and find the answers to some unresolved questions.

Tuya's Marriage is very interesting, as it looks at the life of Mongolian life in today's lifestyle. The story started with the ending, and then they all started to tell the beginning. I do not know much about the Mongolian lifestyle, but it seems like a very rural experience, that is met by the need for water. The main character, Tuya, is a herder of sheep, and they sell the sheep to make their money. One problem the family has is there is never any water around them, so they need to go and get it with their camel. That is quite the nuisance as they have to only use a certain amount, and once they are out they have to go and get more water. To solve this problem her first husband tried to build a well outside of the house, yet injures himself throughout the process. The well is not finished, and now Tuya has to do all of the work and take care of her two kids and her husband, as he is crippled now and can not work. Tuya goes and finds many suitors, once she finds the first one, it does not go well. The next suitor is named Shenge, and is very close with the family, as he tries to build a well outside of the house too. I will not get into too much detail, as you should see the movie to find out, but then it ends with no one knowing who Tuya really marries. It is the day of her wedding, and her first husband gets in a fight with Shenge and no one truly knows who she marries. I believe she marries Shenge, but no one knows for sure. I would recommend seeing this movie to someone if they are interested in the rural life of Mongolians.

Just a beautiful and authentic movie with beautiful scenery of Mongolia, China and gives a good idea of daily life of a different kind in this world. I especially liked the tranquil way it has been shot almost like a documentary style way of filming. Also the actress who plays Tuya in this movie has such a beautiful face that it's even noticeable tightly wrapped in her traditional headscarf. I can't say absolutely nothing negative about this movie. There should be much more movies like this coming out that not only have the ability to entertain you but even make people think about what we think life is really about.

Overall I did not like this film too much. It reminded a lot of a film we watched in the first semester called Ixcanul, another one I found rather unenteraining. From what I can recall about the first one, both of them were about arranged marriage and both of them had rather little dialogue. They were both pretty quiet films and followed the life of farmers. These films have almost a documentary approach to them. As far as the cinematography goes, they resemble each other a lot in my mind. There were a lot of scenes that were just very zoomed out and captured a lot of the bleak landscape that their countries contained. I can't remember much of the storyline of Ixcanul but this movie similarly followed the life of a female farmer named Tuya. Her husband ha sheen crippled and can't help her support their family. Tuya herself is later injured and is advised to stay away from intense manual labor to avoid further injury. Her husband divorces her and allows her to look for a husband that can surely support everyone in the family. She is caught between two suitors and the movie ends with both of them fighting and her leaving the scene. If I can remember correctly, in Ixcanul, the main character is also injured and later hospitalized. she is stuck with one suitor and is forced to marry him with no choice, whereas Tuya has some freedom in that she can select between two.

Before viewing this film, I was very unfamiliar with Mongolian culture. I had always imagined the Mongolian people as a nomadic group who only lived in tents and constantly from place to place in large groups. It had never occurred to me that there were many Mongolians who did live in a stable place in homes. This movie definitely opened my eyes to that. It also made me think about the various issues that people face in different regions of the world. Tuya's issue was that her husband was crippled and she was at risk of becoming crippled so she needed to marry another man in order to support her family; however, this proved to be very emotional for Tuya and her husband, Bater. It was a slower paced movie but the visuals were very beautiful and intriguing. The director did a good job of portraying the landscape of Mongolia and setting up the scene so the viewer got a sense of the typical way of life in Mongolia. Overall I would give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Tuya's Marriage was an interesting movie to say the least. It was the first Mongolian film that I had ever seen, and it was also one of the most interesting to say the least. I felt like there was an interesting story behind the movie, but I felt as if the actors and director didn't really as much passion for this. Then again, this is coming from an American perspective rather than someone who is actually Mongolian, so I don't truly know how much they put in to this film. I did enjoy all of the camera angels in the film, as well as the location and props. They did a wonderful job recreating a Mongolian home. I also liked how well they all rode their horses during the film. It was clear that some time and thought was put in to making the actors ride as if they were Mongolian.

This film was about how the main character, Tuya divorces her husband, Batoer, and is forced to make a better life for herself and kids with a new man. She faces conflict when she is offered a new life from two men who want her: it's either a wealthy old friend who promises to give and pay for anything she needs, or her lonely neighbor who proclaims his ultimate love for her, who has just left his wife. Personally, I did not enjoy this movie one bit. It was slow, confusing and the plot behind it (I found) was plain and silly. If it were not for the fact that this film is Mongolian and the cultural differences, I feel likeI have seen this plot over and over again in many other films. Although it was interesting to see their way of life, I found this film more like a documentary than a movie. I was not impressed by the actors all that much, but I thought the kids were really cute. This film confused me a lot in terms of what was going on, but I noticed there was a lot of alcohol, which surprised me since they seemed to live very naturally and off the land. I also noticed that during the day and while the characters were going about their everyday life, they wore baggy, plain and neutral colored clothing (probably mostly to keep warm)!! The only times they were color were in their headscarves, and during the ceremony at the end! I found this cool, since obviously color and fashion is important to them when going to important events, like it is for us. I wouldn't have guessed them to just all of a sudden dress up in nice colors, fabrics and jewels, since I was so used to seeing at the characters in grays, blacks and browns. At times I felt bad for the animals because they were so heavily depended on, and didn't seem to get much love; but on the other hand, this was their only way of life, and animals are not looked at the way we look at them in the US.