Ju Dou

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Ju Dou
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Yang Fengliang
Produced by Hu Jian
Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Zhang Wenze
Written by Liu Heng
Starring Gong Li
Li Baotian
Li Wei
Music by Xia Ru-jin
Zhao Jiping
Cinematography Gu Changwei
Yang Lun
Editing by Du Yuan
Distributed by United States:
Miramax Films
Release dates Toronto:
September 7, 1990
United States:
March 6, 1991
Running time 95 minutes
Country China
Japan
Language Mandarin

Ju Dou (Chinese: 菊豆; pinyin: Jú Dòu) is a 1990 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang (though it is almost universally considered to be a product of Zhang's vision as director) and starring Gong Li as the title character. It is notable for being shot in vivid Technicolor long after the process had been abandoned in the United States.[1][2] It was also the first Chinese film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, in 1990.[3]

The film is a tragedy, focusing on the characters of Ju Dou, a beautiful young woman who has been sold as a wife to Jinshan, an old cloth dyer.

The film was banned for a few years in China, but the ban has since been lifted.[4] The Chinese government gave permission for its viewing in July 1992.[5]

Plot summary

Ju Dou takes place in the early 20th century in rural China. The story begins as Yang Tianqing (the regular Zhang collaborator Li Baotian) is returning from a trek to sell silk for his adoptive uncle, Yang Jinshan (Li Wei). Jinshan, whose trade is dyeing fabrics, is known for his cruelty. Tianqing learns that Jinshan has just recently purchased a new wife, having beaten two previous wives to death after they failed to produce a son, the cruel irony being that Jinshan is in fact impotent.

Upon meeting the wife, Ju Dou (Gong Li), Tianqing is immediately enamored with her. At night, Jinshan tortures Ju Dou. Eventually, Tianqing discovers Ju Dou's bathing area and spies on her. Soon, the two are unable to control their passions any longer, and they engage in sexual intercourse. When Ju Dou discovers she is pregnant, she and Tianqing pretends that the child is Jinshan's. Jinshan suffers a stroke which leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. Confined to a wheel chair, he nevertheless discovers Ju Dou and Tianqing's affair and attempts to kill the child. Jinshan is tied up by Tianshing and hoisted in a large barrel, leaving him dangling helplessly. Knowing that society would never accept her infidelities, Ju Dou goes to a nunnery to get contraceptives.

Meanwhile Tianbai has grown into a sullen child (Yi Zhang), but when he calls Jinshan "Father", Jinshan accepts the boy as his son. Jinshan falls into the dye vat and drowns one day while playing with his son and a funeral is carried out for him.

Ten years later. Ju Dou and Tianqing still run the dye operation, but Tianbai (now played by Zheng Ji'an) is now a rage-filled teenager. Rumors of his parents' infidelities drive him to nearly kill a local gossip. Upon discovering his parents resting in an underground cellar after one of their trysts, Tianbai drags them out and drowns Tianqing. Ju Dou then burns the mill down as the film ends.

Cast

  • Gong Li, as Ju Dou (S: 菊豆, T: 菊荳, P: Jú Dòu);
  • Li Baotian, as Yang Tianqing (S: 杨天青, T: 楊天青, P: Yáng Tiānqīng), Ju Dou's lover and Yang Jinshan's adopted nephew;
  • Li Wei, as Yang Jinshan (S: 杨金山, T: 楊金山, P: Yáng Jīnshān), the owner of the dye mill and Ju Dou's husband;
  • Yi Zhang, as Yang Tianbai (S: 杨天白, T: 楊天白, P: Yáng Tiānbái) as a child; Ju Dou and Tianqing's son;
  • Zheng Ji'an, as Tianbai as a youth.

Reception

Awards

DVD release

Ju Dou was initially released on DVD in the United States as an all-region disc on the Pioneer label, Geneon Entertainment, on June 29, 1999. The disc included English subtitles.

The film was re-released by Razor Digital Entertainment on February 14, 2006 as part of the new Zhang Yimou collection to capitalize on Zhang's recent international successes of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The new edition was Region 1 and included English, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese subtitles. Despite the DVD box stating that the film is presented in widescreen, it is actually presented in full frame.

References

  1. ↑ Bonet, Christopher (2006-12-18). "The Glory that is Gong Li". IFC News. Retrieved 2007-04-13. 
  2. ↑ Ebert, Roger (1991-04-12). "Ju Dou". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2007-04-13. 
  3. ↑ Neo, David (September 2003). "Red Sorghum: A Search for Roots". Senses of Cinema. Archived from the original on 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
  4. ↑ Zhang Yimou. Frances K. Gateward, Yimou Zhang, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2001, pp. 26-7.
  5. ↑ Zhang Yimou. Frances K. Gateward, Yimou Zhang, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2001, p. 42.
  6. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Ju Dou". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-08-05. 

External links

Directorial works of Zhang Yimou
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