Pavilion of Women (2001)

With World War 2 looming, a prominent family in China must confront the contrasting ideas of traditionalism, communism and Western thinking, while dealing with the most important ideal of all: love and its meaning in society.

Director:

Ho Yim

Writers:

Pearl S. Buck (novel), Yan Luo (screenplay),

Stars:

Willem Dafoe, Yan Luo, Sau Sek

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Willem Dafoe	...	Father Andre
Yan Luo	...	Madame Wu Ailian
Sau Sek	...	Mr. Wu
John Cho	...	Fengmo Wu
Yi Ding	...	Chiuming
Chieng Mun Koh	...	Ying
Anita Loo	...	Old Lady Wu
Amy Hill	...	Madame Kang
Kate McGregor-Stewart	...	Sister Shirley
Jia Dong Liu	...	Mr. Lang
Shu Chen	...	Head Servant
Hang-Sang Poon	...	Fat Cook
Li Wang	...	Kang Lin Yi
You Jin Xu	...	Matchmaker
Ding Yuan Gu	...	Mayor

Storyline

In 1938, Ailian is the forty years old wife of a wealthy man, Mr. Wu, who belongs to the traditional Wu Family in China. In order to get rid off her sexual obligations with her husband, Ailian gives Chiuming, a very young concubine to him. Andre is an American priest and doctor who takes care of an orphanage and becomes the tutor of her eighteen years old son Fengmo Wu. Father Andre starts giving classes to Fengmo, Ailian and Chiuming. Then, two forbidden loves will rise: between the priest and the first wife, and between the son and the concubine, having the invasion of China by the Japanese in a big picture.

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Plot Keywords:

china | concubine | priest | love | forbidden love | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and war images

Details

Country:

China USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

16 November 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Amor, Honra e Guerra

Filming Locations:

Suzhou, China

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$16,368 (USA) (4 May 2001)

Gross:

$35,938 (USA) (18 May 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beijing Film Studio, China Film Co-Production Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

- a fine example of cross-cultural co-production

Anyone who liked Zhang Yimou's "Raise The Red Lantern" is a prospect for "Pavilion Of Women". Whereas "Raise The Red Lantern" explores the breaking of merely Chinese cultural taboos, "Pavilion Of Women" centres on a romance between leading characters who flout both Chinese and Western mores. This is a cross-cultural romantic story by the prolific American writer on China, Pearl S. Buck, set in the late 1930s. It has first class cross-cultural direction and acting, and was filmed on location in elegant settings of old Suzhou. It is a fine example of what the Chinese film industry can achieve in co-production.