Twin Sisters

Leftist melodrama at its finest. Dabao and Erbao (both played by Hu Die) are twin sisters born to village ne’er do well Mr. Zhao. When Zhao decides to leave, his wife begs him to take one of the girls, fearing she cannot raise both; he takes Erbao. Years later, Erbao is married to a warlord, for whom her father now works. Back in the village, hard times force Dabao to leave home looking for work. Having just had a son, Erbao is looking for a nanny, and she hires Dabao, neither woman realizing that they are sisters. Chinese literature and consequently cinema are full of “comparison narratives,” parallel stories that compare the lives of relatives or friends, championing the hardworking poor over the decadent but wealthy ruling class. —Film Society of Lincoln Center