The story carries an incandescent theme: communication. The 3 key characters, Takata 高田 (Ken Takakura 高倉健), Ken Ichi 健一 (Kiichi Nakai 中井貴一, off screen) and Chinese folk song singer, Li Giamen 李加民, all missed their chances and feel regretful for not having communication with their respective beloved family member somewhere in time.

There are not many dialogues for Takata. Zhang Yimou uses his voice over instead to strengthen the narrative orientation. The story is framed from the perspective of Takata who faces 3 progressive levels of encounters in his journey for video-taping the Chinese opera of the same title of the movie: (1) communication via an interpreter; (2) communication difficulties with a local Chinese who doesn't understand Japanese; and (3) self-expression of his need to the Chinese officials of the Foreign Office via video-taping under the assistance of translation from the interpreter and the non-Japanese speaking Chinese. The last is quite connotative and reflective in that Takata is forced to resort to the use of that communication in a difficult situation in China merely in pursuit of his goal of opening up simple communication with his son in Japan. Zhang also builds some visual humours in that sequence.

The presence of video camera, digital camera and Takata's infrequent dialogues (his expression are mostly in his own voice-over) strengthens the narrative framing of himself being a passive onlooker at the beginning. Yet his apathy is gradually dissolved by the emotional need of folk opera vocalist Li Giamen and Li's son, Yang Yang (楊振波) down the plot. The story witnesses Takata's gradual change from a passive father, through being an apathetic mission-oriented bystander, to an active helper who assists a third party family in restoring communication, though unilateral. Takata himself fails in communicating with his dying son but projects Yang Yang as his own son. The plot between him and Yang Yang lost overnight in the mountain and their parting when found is particularly readable and touching. Zhang uses parallelism by resorting to visual parallel at the denouement (Takata displaying snap shots of Yang to Li by using his camera and the TV set in the prison) in contrasting the role of Takata between being an apathetic onlooker seeking for help and a sincere helper offering help. There is an enlightening theme arising from a humorous middle sequence (cell phone on the roof of a house in the Stone Village) which purports that communication is for receipt and understanding of message but not for making people's life difficult, connoting that the real barrier to communication is not willing to communicate.

Zhang skilfully builds visual (nose touching, whistle blower), sound (whistles) and vocal (dialogues) motifs to highlight the theme. In manipulating acoustic filmic aesthetics, he uses juxtaposed vocals (Chinese and Japanese) to reinforce the theme of communication and contrasts it with the lack of the same between Takata and his son, Ken Ichi. Narrative-wise, Zhang uses non-revelation of Ken Ichi (off screen) for 2 purposes: (1) locating the diegetic focus on Takata; and (2) establishing a parallel to the theme of lack of communication between Takata and Ken Ichi.

Zhang renders a smooth flow of the plot and builds variations in scenes of shot and reverse shot to reduce monotony. He doesn't use music in many dialogue or silent sequences for the sake of leading the audience to focus on the characters' intrinsic expressions. Even music is used, and is played in a subdued volume so that ambient sounds or dialogues are dominant.

The film also emphasizes the empathy and helpfulness of the mainland authority, omits corruption and downplays administrative hurdles in the protagonist's pursuit of his goal. Takakura stages very well even without many dialogues. The film is Zhang's fine artifice of covert sentiment and sensation. It is a "must see" for pursuers of soft stories and tears.