Did Feng Xiaogang delay the film – a romance set against the Cultural Revolution and China’s brief war against Vietnam – himself, because of poor ticket sales, or did party officials make a decision to delay it in advance of the Communist Party congress? Probably the latter: “Youth had already passed the scrutiny of Chinese censors, and was shown at the Toronto Film Festival this month. But the memories and themes evoked by the film may have prompted senior officials to reverse approval for its release during this sensitive political season.”