The film chronicles the lives of a group of idealistic adolescents in a military art troupe in the
People's Liberation Army during the
Cultural Revolution. They experience love, lust, betrayal, and sufferings in the background of
Mao era songs and dances. Through the narration of Xiao Suizi, the film follows the story of two key characters, Feng Liu and He Xiaoping. Xiaoping is a naive and innocent new recruit from
Beijing, and Feng Liu is a morally impeccable character, whose comrades praise for being a real life
Lei Feng. The pair also participate in the
Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979 and become heroes for their act of courage. Xiaoping eventually becomes the target of her roommates bullying for her provincial naive mannerisms. The majority of the acts are spearheaded by Hao Shuwen, the daughter of the regional commander. After the war, they are honorably discharged from the Army but struggle to make ends meet in the
Reform-era China while they learn lessons from soul-crushing experiences of love, lust, betrayal, and heartbreak. ==Cast==