Gu You’s ‘The First Taste of Loneliness’ Finds Quiet Grief in Everyday Details
Chinese director Gu You concludes his Landscape trilogy with a portrait of three generations of women mourning a husband, father, and grandfather. The film opens with an intense deathbed vigil and later finds emotional force in smaller moments, such as a daughter tasting her late father’s final jar of pickles. Though the review says it sometimes becomes maudlin, it remains affecting when focused on ordinary details.
Gu You’s “The First Taste of Loneliness” concludes his Landscape trilogy. The film follows three generations of women—a mother, daughter, and granddaughter—mourning a husband, father, and grandfather. The review is tagged to Busan International Film Festival coverage.
It opens with an intense deathbed vigil as pancreatic cancer ends the man’s life. Later, after his death, Yue, played by Zhou Xun, opens his last jar of homemade pickles. Tasting them, she calls it a good batch, aware she will never do so again. The review says such everyday details work better than maudlin passages.
This film may resonate with viewers who have lost relatives to cancer or cared for aging family members. Its focus on three generations could prompt reflection on how grief differs across ages and roles. By highlighting small rituals like tasting a last jar of pickles, it may help audiences recognize ordinary mourning practices. Its sentimental passages could limit its reach for some, but its quieter moments may still foster empathy and family conversations.