Mountains May Depart is a 2015 Chinese drama film directed by Jia Zhangke, starring Zhao Tao, Zhang Yi, Liang Jingdong, Dong Zijian and Sylvia Chang.
The film is divided into three segments. In 1999, Tao (Zhao) is courted by both Liangzi (Liang), a poor miner, and Jingsheng (Zhang), a rich gas station owner. Eventually, she marries Jingsheng and Liangzi leaves the town. In 2014, Tao is divorced from Jingsheng, who lives in Shanghai with their son Daole. Liangzi returns to his hometown because he is sick. He needs money for his treatment. Tao gives it to him. Tao's father dies and her estranged son Daole comes back to the town for the funeral. In 2025, Daole (Dong) lives with his father Jingsheng in Australia. He meets Mia (Chang), a Chinese language teacher.
Mountains May Depart provides examples of:
- 20 Minutes into the Future: The last sequence of the film is set in 2025. It is not much different from 2015, but there are some new technologies, like transparent tablets.
- Ambition Is Evil: Jingsheng is an ambitious businessman. He starts as a gas station owner, then he buys a mine, and finally he has a successful career in finance in Shanghai. He is depicted as a bad person. He treats Liangzi, his childhood friend, with contempt and he even plans to murder him. After his divorce, he gets his son's custody and moves with him to Shanghai, so he takes him away from his mother, Tao.
- Book Ends: In the opening scene, Tao dances to "Go West" by Petshop Boys. In the end, she does the same.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Tao, Liangzi and Jingsheng are childhood friends. In 1999, when they are 25, both Liangzi and Jingsheng are in love with Tao. Tao finally marries Jingsheng.
- Cock Fight: Liangzi and Jingsheng fight for Tao's love. Liangzi punches Jingsheng in the face at some point.
- Dashed Plot Line: The film is divided into three segments: 1999, 2014 and 2025.
- Daydream Surprise: When she is looking for Liangzi, Tao sees a plane crashing into the mountains, but it seems this was just a dream, since this event is not refered to in the next sequences.
- Friendship Trinket: The keys that Daole always wears around his neck represent his link with his mother Tao (and with his home country, China).
- Gun Nut: Liangzi is one. He says that he moved from China to Australia because it is possible to own guns in Australia. There are several guns on his living room table.
- An Immigrant's Tale: The 2025 segment of the film is about the difficulties of Jingsheng and his son Daole to live in Australia. The difficulties come from the fact that Daole cannot speak good Mandarin Chinese and his father cannot speak good English.
- Language Barrier: Between Daole and his father Jingsheng. Daole cannot speak good Mandarin Chinese and his father cannot speak good English.
- May–December Romance: Daole, who is a young adult, develops a romantic relationship with Mia, who is much older than him. A travel agency employee assumes that she is his mother.
- Meaningful Name: Daole is the Chinese pronounciation for dollar. It shows the materialistic views of his father, Liangzi.
- Missing Mom: Daole is raised by his father in Shanghai and he visits his mother very rarely. Then he moves with his father to Australia and he totally looses touch with his mother.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Jingsheng plans to murder his rival Liangzi. First, he tries to get a gun. As he cannot, he plans to use dynamite, but Tao convinces him to give up his plans.
- New Year Has Come: The film starts with the 1999 new year's celebrations, where Tao participates in a singing contest.
- No Ending: In the end, Mia convinces Daole to go back to China to visit his mother, but the meeting between them is not showed.
- Nouveau Riche: Jingsheng brags about his wealth, his brandnew car... He calls his son Daole (Chinese pronounciation of dollar). He wants his son to go to an exclusive international school.
- Planes, Trains, and Imbeciles: Daole takes his new love interest Mia to a travel agency so they can book a flight, but the agent refers to Mia (much older than Daole) as his mother. This leaves them feeling embarrassed, but Daole can't find the courage to get angry at the worker.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Tao has two suitors: the poor Liangzi, a miner, and the rich Jingsheng, a gas station owner.
- Tactful Translation: Mia acts as interpreter between Daole and his father. She does not translate the most offensive words of both of them.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Daole develops a romantic relationship with Mia, his Chinese language teacher.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to Liangzi and his wife after he received money from Tao?
- Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Daole is the Chinese pronounciation for dollar. In Australia in 2025, a classmate notices that this name is strange and inappropriate, in particular because the US dollar is now a weak currency.
