[2] Four Loves and The Silent Wife made alterations to Chiung's original stories, in particular with the addition of political elements such as emphasizing education for the disabled and military service, and in changing the character of Wan-chun from a tongyangxi (child bride) into a cousin.

[3][4] In 1963, the Kuomintang government in Taipei greatly increased its investment in the state-owned Central Motion Pictures Corporation (CMPC), seeking to use the medium of film as a propaganda vehicle for showing their progress in developing Taiwan's society.

[5] Four Loves takes place mostly in the Chou family's affluent residence, with a few exterior shots, mainly at a school on a mountainside which the middle brother attends.

[8] A review by Xiang Xin in the Nanyang Siang Pau praised the childhood scenes in the first half of the film, but criticised it as having far less of a "human touch" than Beautiful Duckling and not featuring the same "outstanding" acting that Tang had previously demonstrated.

[12] Li's break from making adaptations of Chiung's stories led to persistent rumours in the industry that there had been a falling-out between the two over the changes made to Wan-chun's character for Four Loves.