Ju Dou (1990)

A woman married to the brutal and infertile owner of a dye mill in rural China conceives a boy with her husband's nephew but is forced to raise her son as her husband's heir without ... See full summary »

Directors:

Yimou Zhang, Fengliang Yang (co-director)

Writer:

Heng Liu

Stars:

Li Gong, Wei Li, Baotian Li

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ma Chong
Zhijun Cong
Wu Fa
Li Gong	...	Ju Dou
Zhaoji Jia
Jia Jin
Baotian Li	...	Yang Tian-qing
Wei Li	...	Yang Jin-shan
Xingli Niu
Qianbin Yang	...	(as Yang Qianbin)
Zhang Yi	...	Tianbai as child
Ji-an Zheng	...	Yang Tian-bai as a Youth

Storyline

A woman married to the brutal and infertile owner of a dye mill in rural China conceives a boy with her husband's nephew but is forced to raise her son as her husband's heir without revealing his parentage in this circular tragedy. This tale of romantic and familial love in the face of unbreakable tradition is more universal than its setting.

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Plot Keywords:

spouse abuse | patricide | murder | drowning | accidental death | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

China Japan

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

April 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor E Sedução

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,986,433

Company Credits

Production Co:

China Film Co-Production Corporation, China Film Release Import and Export Company, Tokuma Shoten

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was restored in 2017 by French company Impex Films with support from Arte France and Hiventy. This restoration was later first broadcast on October 2, 2017 on Franco-German channel Arte.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Star Trek: Generations/The Swan Princess/Miracle on 34th Street/The Professional/To Live (1994)

User Reviews

No Need To Understand Chinese - 8 stars - Ju Dou

8 STARS - No Need To Understand Chinese - Ju Dou

You don't need to understand a word of Chinese, even if you view this film in its native language without English subtitles. This story of a suffering Chinese wife in 1920s China who seeks sexual gratification outside of her impotent husband is a straightforward tale of passion. It is told in magnificent fashion via one beautiful shot after another by master Zhang Yimou. Gong Li, as always, is incomparable.

Zhang uses the same formula with her that Carlo Ponti used with Sophia Loren, the large-breasted star of Italy, who was a great actress trapped in a super-sexy body. In Two Women, Ponti did everything he could to downplay Loren's natural assets: plain clothes, dirt on her face, and mundane surroundings. Zhang does the same exact thing with Gong Li and is successful. Ju Dou is not the best work of Zhang, but that is like saying The Birds or Psycho was not the best work of Hitchcock. This film is gorgeous and shot to perfection. Millions of women will identify with it. Highly recommended.