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IMDbPro

The Story of Qiu Ju

Original title: Qiu Ju da guan si
  • 19921992
  • PGPG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
Theatrical Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Play trailer1:22
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
A peasant woman seeks justice after the headman of her village has kicked her husband in the groin.A peasant woman seeks justice after the headman of her village has kicked her husband in the groin.A peasant woman seeks justice after the headman of her village has kicked her husband in the groin.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Yuan Bin Chen(writer of the the novella on which the film is based, "The Wan Family's Lawsuit")
    • Heng Liu
  • Stars
    • Gong Li
    • Peiqi Liu
    • Liuchun Yang
Top credits
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Yuan Bin Chen(writer of the the novella on which the film is based, "The Wan Family's Lawsuit")
    • Heng Liu
  • Stars
    • Gong Li
    • Peiqi Liu
    • Liuchun Yang
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 34User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 20 wins & 10 nominations

    Videos1

    The Story of Qiu Ju
    Trailer 1:22
    The Story of Qiu Ju

    Photos201

    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    Gong Li in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
    The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gong Li
    Gong Li
    • Qiu Juas Qiu Ju
    Peiqi Liu
    Peiqi Liu
    • Wan Qinglai, chili farmeras Wan Qinglai, chili farmer
    Liuchun Yang
    • Meizi, Qinglai's sisteras Meizi, Qinglai's sister
    Kesheng Lei
    • Wang Shantang, village chiefas Wang Shantang, village chief
    Zhijun Ge
    • Officer Lias Officer Li
    Wanqing Zhu
    Luowen Cui
    Huiqin Yang
    Jianfa Wang
    Zi Lin
    Jun Ye
    • Director
      • Yimou Zhang
    • Writers
      • Yuan Bin Chen(writer of the the novella on which the film is based, "The Wan Family's Lawsuit")
      • Heng Liu
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Lawyer Wu: [subtitles] Qiu Ju, in civil and administrative lawsuits, the defendants aren't necessarily bad people.

      Qiu Ju: Do good people sue each other?

      Lawyer Wu: Of course!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Lost in Yonkers/Carnosaur/American Heart/Posse/The Story of Qiu Ju (1993)

    User reviews34

    Review
    Top review
    I enjoyed this complex, warm view of china.
    Really enjoyed this one. Qiu Ju is the wife of a man who has been kicked by a neighbor, his village chief. She presses for an apology, largely (if subtitles do it justice) because, even though his chest is what hurts longer, he's been kicked in the "privates" and she wants more than one child. She takes her quest for the apology up the chain of officialdom.

    I couldn't get enough of the scenery - houses, city, carts, clothes, painted paper banners, dried peppers and corn - and the faces of people. As other viewers noted positively, the people in it didn't seem to be actors but real people, caught up in daily affairs and catching us up, too. The nearby village is somewhat familiar to her, but her trip to the city may have been her first. Watching her trying to find her way around, haggling for fair rates and help from a produce buyer, a bike-cart driver, a letter writer, a hotelier, and a lawyer was a lot of fun. Her trips seemed like a great introduction to the culture.

    One of the things I loved was how the families and neighbors kept having complex interactions with each other throughout the ordeal. And the social roles in this were interesting: Farm/village chief to farmer, sister to sister, daughter-in-law to her in-laws, Party officials to their hierarchy and to citizens, country to city, women's role in general (as in what sex babies are preferred) and the strong stance of a specific woman like Qiu Ju, who seemed to be empowered as much as frustrated by the system and by her family and neighbors.

    I read reviews of this as a negative comment on bureaucracy. If so, it showed a remarkably humane one. Flaws were on display but the overall tone was of acceptance.

    The sudden ending left me feeling for the main characters. I seemed to see a judgment in it, but wasn't sure what that judgment was. I wanted to know how the story was interpreted in China, so I came to IMDB to at least see how others took it.
    helpful•22
    2
    • Charlie-209
    • Dec 7, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 16, 1993 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Hong Kong
    • Language
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Thu Cúc Đi Kiện
    • Filming locations
      • China
    • Production companies
      • Sil-Metropole Organisation
      • Youth Film Studio of Beijing Film Academy
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,890,247
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $25,785
      • Apr 18, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,890,247
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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