Set in a small, secluded, run-down house, Spring in a Small Town is a psychological exploration of the female protagonist Zhou Yuwen and her intricate relationships with her sickly husband, Dai Liyan and her former lover Zhang Zhichen, a doctor who unexpectedly comes for a visit. This film has been critically acclaimed as the best Chinese film of all time and a classic example of 'Eastern' cinema.

Essay by film critic Wade Major