Critical Reception
The film received mixed reviews from Western critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 31% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 71 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times gave the film an overall positive review, praising the acting and its "realistic depiction of war-ravaged China".
The film has been criticized for ignoring the role of Rewi Alley, a Communist New Zealander celebrated in China's revolution. Conversion of the nurse played by Radha Mitchell from a New Zealander (Kathleen Hall, associated with Alley) to an American also received negative attention. The omission of Alley in particular has been called a blatant misrepresentation by at least one critic.
Read more about this topic: The Children Of Huang Shi
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