Whereas the mood of Red Sorghum was rebellion, for Ju Dou Zhang
constructs a world of repression and denial. Trapped in an abusive
marriage, Ju Dou (Gong Li) turns for comfort to Tianqing (Li Baotian), a
young man her husband brought up from childhood, though no blood
relation. Unable to publicly declare their love and forced to live a
lie, they ultimately lose all sense of identity. Immaculately
composed images - spectacular use of colour and framing to support the
narrative - and Gong Li's luminous performance make this a film of
exceptional beauty.
