Springtime in a Small Town is filled with carnal desires. As the unspeakable and repressed desires escalate, and sexual tensions burst out of the screen. There also is the terror of witnessing a savage face hidden behind the calmness of daily life. Yuwen, who resides with her sick husband and his 16-year-old sister in a dilapidated mansion, lives like a ghost. After years of passionless life, her soul has turned cold. When her husband’s friend Zhichen drops by for a visit, her expressionless face begins to smile. Although the film progresses with utter calmness, below the surface exists a boiling desire. And in this way the three characters meet the spring of 1946 with faith, love, affection, and desire. The director of The Horse Thief and The Blue Kite, Tian Zhuangzhuang depicts the hidden explosive emotions with a keen sensitive gaze. (Kang So-won)