Ju Dou (1990)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 95 minuten
Alternative titles: Ju Dou: Secret Love, Hidden Faces / 菊豆
Country:
China / Japan
Directed by: Yang Fengliang and Yimou Zhang
Stars: Gong Li, Baotian Li and Li Wei
IMDb score:
7,6 (9.621)
Releasedate: 21 April 1990
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Ju Dou plot
"An Erotic Tale of Forbidden Passion."
China 1920. Ju Dou is the third wife of the wealthy silk producer Jin-Shan. Because she has not yet borne a child for him, she is always treated badly and punished. Her misery gets the attention of Jin-Shan's cousin and he and Ju Dou have a secret affair.
Actors and actresses
Ju Dou
Yang Jinshan
Yang Tianqing
Patriarch of the Yang Clan
Er Laizi
Young Tianbai
Teenage Tianbai
Reviews & comments
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
Not too subtle melodrama with soap-like features, but beautifully filmed, with director Heng Liu making full use of the colors that the protagonists use in their silk factory. The story concerns Jin Shan [Wei Li], an elderly man, who buys a young woman named Ju Dou [Li Gong] in the hope that she can give him a son. Jin-Shan's cousin Tian-Qing [Baotian Li], who helps him prepare silk, is fascinated by the young woman. When he discovers that his uncle treats Ju Dou like an animal and abuses and rapes him, he must choose between loyalty to his family or his sense of justice and growing affection for Ju Dou.
The story could have been pulled straight out of a soap opera, but the beautiful locations, the neat photography and some suspenseful and ironic scenes (Jin Shan's death and his funeral in particular) make this definitely worth it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
I really enjoyed Ju dou, which strongly reflected the nostalgic, traditional Chinese culture. In terms of atmosphere, setting and tradition, the film also reminded me of the better known and even stronger Da Hong Deng Long Gao Gao Gua (1991) by the same director Yimou Zhang. There and here a gentleman buys his wife as if this turns out to be the most normal thing. Red lanterns are also used in this Ju dou to give fertility a boost. In vain, as it turns out, because the miserly, callous man turns out to be impotent. Not even red lanterns can cope with that.
The child has to come from somewhere and the lady still becomes pregnant. The child - a boy - is raised by the actual adopted father. The affair between aunt and cousin also continues. Ju dou is characterized by a beautiful color palette of images, with the red tones in particular catching the eye. There is also the necessary attention for the craft within the dyeing industry.
The drama in the film is interesting to follow because it highlights traditional Chinese culture that highlights the power relations between gender and subordinates. The folklore at the end in which the young child becomes heir and is pivoted through the village on top of the coffin is also visually very powerful. Ju dou is a beautiful story about a simple man who, despite his affair with his beautiful aunt, will never gain any prestige. Impressive film!
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3176 messages
- 8227 votes
In rural China in the 1920s, traditional views prevailed. Textiles were still colored using traditional methods. Forms of superstition included fertility lanterns and herbal mixtures.
A dramatic conflict is built around a love triangle. As a poor girl, Jú Dòu was married off to a rich, older man. Her cruel husband Yáng Jīnshān ("golden mountain") wants a male heir from her, but he is impotentand ends up in a primitive wheelchair. She experiences a forbidden love with the cousin Tiānqīng ("green heaven"). This is frowned upon by society and by their bastard son Tiānbái ("white sky").
Zhang Yimou uses a blue color filter for the night and orange-yellow for the sunrise. The sheets are treated with bright red and orange dyes. Fire plays a role during the two climaxes. Gong Li cements her reputation as one of the greatest Chinese actresses. The sparsely used music comes from bamboo flutes, Chinese gongs and a children's choir. It is a classic tragedy with attention to the psychological and social background.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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