Youthful passion and faithful devotion are lovingly depicted in Zhang Yimou’s “Under The Hawthorn Tree.” In the vein of the exquisite mellers (“Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles,” “The Road Home”) the helmer delivers between flashy epics, this tender, understated romancer touches the heart with a disarming, almost stealthy sweetness. Buoyed by pleasing perfs from young newcomers Zhou Dongyu and Shawn Dou, pic has garnered more than 83 million yuan ($13.4 million) in China since mid-September release; other Asian territories will embrace the film, but less enthusiastically. After fest play, international prospects will be limited to Zhang’s loyal arthouse following.