Red Sorghum (1987)
Directed by Yi Mou Zhang / Zhang Yimou
Genres - Drama, Romance, War |
Sub-Genres - Rural Drama, Period Film, Marriage Drama |
Run Time - 91 min. |
Countries - China |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Red Sorghum was the first directorial effort of controversial Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The director's favorite leading lady Gong Li plays a young woman of the 1920s whose family sells her into marriage with a wealthy winemaker. At first a loveless union, the relationship blossoms into one of strong friendship and mutual respect. During World War II, Gong Li fights side by side with her husband against the invading Japanese. A sweeping yet intensely personal historical epic, Red Sorghum won the 1988 Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival. Despite its patriotic overtones, the film was heavily censored (when not banned altogether) in certain provinces of Communist China.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
marriage-arranged, China, donkey, invasion, killing, leper, lover, marriage, military, rescue, resistance, rurality, village, war
Attributes
High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance