Based on the true story of Su Min, China’s latest box office hit reflects on the quiet endurance of generations of women and questions whether leaving is the end—or just the first step toward reclaiming independence
The Bob Dylan-inspired English title of Yin Lichuan’s Like a Rolling Stone—and the well-advertised fact that it’s based on the true story of Su Min, a woman who went on a solo drive across China to escape an abusive marriage at the age of 56—gives the impression that it’s a road trip movie.
Instead, Su’s fictional avatar, Li Hong, never hits the road until the last 10 minutes of the 106-minute film. The other 90 minutes take place mostly in the cramped apartment and dimly lit streets where Li has slaved for 30 years for an entitled husband, a needy daughter, and eventually grandchildren. It is an almost overly accurate illustration of Simone de Beauvoir’s well-quoted saying that “one is not born, but rather becomes a woman.”
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Like a Rolling Stone: A Stirring Meditation on Womanhood and Defiance is a story from our issue, “New Game.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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