Not Rated | 2h 13m | Drama, Romance | 21 July 2023 (China)
Arriving with next to no fanfare, the China-produced romantic drama “Return to Dust” (“Dust”) last year inadvertently pulled off a feat that left egg on the face of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). There are a few reasons why the CCP ended up removing “Dust” from circulation, which I’ll get to in short order.
Set in a remote area of western China, “Dust” opens with the gathering of two families for the purpose of arranging the marriage of Ma Youtie, also referred to as “Iron,” (Wu Renlin) and Cao Guiying (Hai Qing). Youtie and Guiying are both painfully shy and reserved, and each was abused by their respective siblings. Guiying also carries additional baggage as she is infertile, disabled, and has … ahem, “bladder issues.”…