Wu Tianming was a leading force in China’s Fourth Generation and an inspiration to the filmmakers of the Fifth Generation. His posthumous Song of Phoenix deals with the conflict between tradition and contemporary values, a consistent interest of Wu. Reflecting the role he adopted and the generation he inspired, the film is rather autobiographical. Suona player You Tianming survives harsh training to master suona skills passed down to him, but when the time comes for him to lead his own troupe, China no longer has need of this traditional music. As China’s modernization and urbanization progress, he realizes he might not be able to keep the promise he made to his mentor to continue playing. The strong performance and direction that creates this powerful melodrama of a teacher and student touches upon regret for things inevitably disappearing amid the intense currents of modernization. Nevertheless, the film does not linger on nostalgia as we see in the epilogue where Tianming plays the suona before his mentor’s grave, a clear message pledging the preservation of traditions within a constantly changing modern China. (CHO Hyeyoung)