Synopsis

The protagonist once served as a police officer in the late Qing Dynasty, witnessing the corruption of the Qing soldiers. During the May Fourth Movement, he became acquainted with student leader Shen Yuan, and during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he allowed his son to join the Eighth Route Army. Eventually he was arrested and imprisoned due to his son’s involvement in the Eighth Route Army, and was finally able to see through the situation thanks to Shen Yuan's aid. However, he died of starvation before the liberation of China. The film portrays an ordinary old policeman's life in the city of Beijing and the changes over the past half century in old China from a first-person narrative perspective.

Alternative Keywords: Wo zhe yi bei zi