I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
I’ve seen quite a few movies about priests taking advantage of young boys and the fallout that happens years later. It’s a heavy subject that’s been covered in documentaries, shorts, and full-length films, but sadly, there are so many of these cases out there that there’s always something new to learn. This particular movie calls itself fiction based on true events, and it follows a group of grown men who were abused by a guy named Father Preynat back in the day. It’s crazy to see how brave they are to finally bring charges, especially when you realize the Church knew exactly what was going on and just covered it up instead of stopping him.
The movie feels almost episodic because it focuses on three different guys and their own personal stories. First, there’s Alexandre, a successful guy with a big family and a nice life. He only finds the courage to speak up after a friend admits he was also touched by Cardinal Preynat at a youth camp. Alexandre meets with Cardinal Barbarin, the guy in charge, who actually sets up a face-to-face meeting where the abuser confesses. Alexandre almost wants to forgive him, but he’s still clearly messed up from it all. As his story gets out, we meet Francois, who feels like he has a new mission in life after hearing that Alexandre spoke up but didn't take any legal steps. Francois is the real leader here; he starts rallying people and pushes for legal action against the Church for letting this priest get away with it for thirty years. Because of him, nearly fifty other men come forward. Finally, we meet Emmanuel, who is the most visibly broken and angry of the three. He’s got a temper, drinks too much, and can’t really connect with anyone, so he still lives at home with his mom. The movie doesn't have a neat "happy ending," but it shows Preynat getting charged and Barbarin having to face the press, giving the victims a bit of closure.
The way the film links these three characters is really smooth, like a relay race where the baton is passed perfectly every time. It never feels like it's rushing through the facts or dumping too much info on you at once. You get a lot of detail about their lives now, their past trauma, how they told their parents, and that lingering fear of what people will think. While the movie doesn't pretend these scars will ever fully go away, you can see these men gaining a sense of power as they tell their stories and go after their abuser. There are definitely some disturbing flashbacks and frustrating scenes where the system tries to block them, but the movie never feels like it's trying to be sensational for no reason. Instead, it just stays focused on how these guys are finding their strength.
It’s definitely not an easy watch, and it really makes you think about the lifelong pain that comes from abuse. It might not be saying anything brand new about the subject of sexual misconduct, but it does a fantastic job of showing why it’s so important to speak out. The film is a bit long and moves pretty slowly, so you’ll need some patience to get through it, but a topic this serious needs to be handled with the kind of maturity and sensitivity that this director clearly has.
It’s a deeply moving and sober look at the long road to justice, reminding us that even though healing is a slow process, speaking the truth is where it all starts. (6.5/10)
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