The mise-en-scene, in regard to the flame, gives a dated feeling. This is obviously a time much before the invention of fluorescent lighting and such. But also the symbolic use of the flame does much more. It is an outward expression of the internal flame that burns within him that drives him to keep up his toilsome journey. The light shows his glistening brow and the energy he exerts to maintain his rigorous schedule. All the while, he can be clearly seen yet not heard. The audience can begin to feel the futility of his efforts that will soon be apparent. Zhang ends the first shot by overlaying into the next shot of him and his troupe traveling. Again, this manipulation by the director serves a very important purpose. By overlaying, and not just cutting to the next shot, the audience can feel the relentless nature of his tasks. If Zhang were to simply cut to the next shot, the audience would likely identify them as isolated events. The overlay adds to the formalistic function of the shots. It is not clear whether these are happenings in real time, or an image in the mind of the main character. Nonetheless, his work seems to take no break from day to night. It would seem as though he does not even sleep. He works all night by the bright, hot flame and must endlessly travel by day. For the main character, his duties will never end. As the exegetic sound will end, so will his perilous journey, but not until much hardship has been endured.
The second shot fades in from the illuminated, close-up night shot, to a daytime long shot. The use of the landscape long shot is a commonly used device by Zhang. Similar to its use in Yellow Earth and The Road Home, the shot allows for a feeling of separation and endless journeying. Just like its implementation in the two other films, the long shot is framed open to the sky, and encompassed by the vast, often mountainous landscape of China.