This review may contain spoilers
This glorious visual feast should not be a secret.
“Secrets Happened on Litchi Island” is a remarkable series, sustained by a firm creative vision that runs with unerring determination and artistry through every scene, through all the dialogue (delivered by a uniformly strong cast), together with shot selection and framings that are paradoxically economical yet fully immersive at the same time.
It's no accident or coincidence that the two leads are reading Aciman's "Call Me By Your Name" in Extra Ep 2. Writer/Director/Creator-in-Chief Lizzy reshapes Elio's journey of self-discovery in 1983 to this decade today, and in today’s socio-political climate. Here, Nie Xiaozhi is a far more aware version of Elio, albeit wracked by the same feelings of shame characteristic of many emergent young gays. Elio's grief for the loss of Oliver at the end of CMBYN is reshaped in this series by Lizzy into a terrifying alcohol-fuelled rage of self-recrimination by Xiaozhi, performed with considerable force by Ha Yichen (an actor I could find little online about, but whose maturity and talent belies his boyish looks).
Lizzy acknowledges the homophobia in China today, such as the misguided efforts of Xiaozhi's brother to "rescue" Xiaozhi from his unhappiness. But Lizzy succeeds, I believe, in rewriting the ending of CMBYN to the happy ending we all seek and wish for.
“Secrets Happened on Litchi Island” deserves to be seen in feature-length format to appreciate how rich and complex and satisfying this is, and also to avoid the narrated splash screen episode introductions, probably the only misjudgment in the whole production by this formidable creator.
It's no accident or coincidence that the two leads are reading Aciman's "Call Me By Your Name" in Extra Ep 2. Writer/Director/Creator-in-Chief Lizzy reshapes Elio's journey of self-discovery in 1983 to this decade today, and in today’s socio-political climate. Here, Nie Xiaozhi is a far more aware version of Elio, albeit wracked by the same feelings of shame characteristic of many emergent young gays. Elio's grief for the loss of Oliver at the end of CMBYN is reshaped in this series by Lizzy into a terrifying alcohol-fuelled rage of self-recrimination by Xiaozhi, performed with considerable force by Ha Yichen (an actor I could find little online about, but whose maturity and talent belies his boyish looks).
Lizzy acknowledges the homophobia in China today, such as the misguided efforts of Xiaozhi's brother to "rescue" Xiaozhi from his unhappiness. But Lizzy succeeds, I believe, in rewriting the ending of CMBYN to the happy ending we all seek and wish for.
“Secrets Happened on Litchi Island” deserves to be seen in feature-length format to appreciate how rich and complex and satisfying this is, and also to avoid the narrated splash screen episode introductions, probably the only misjudgment in the whole production by this formidable creator.
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