Red Sorghum [1987]

This film blew me away. I watched it many times years ago and yet it still stays with me. The actors don't need to say much, the depth of symbolism is incredibly beautiful. Have a couple of boxes of tissues to hand! You fall in love with the characters then emotionally feel everything that happens thereafter. Every time remembrance days comes around and I think of what the Japanese did I still cry. My favourite film. Li Gong is incredibly talented.

A tale of violence, love, comradeship, and the horrors of war, this film is really strange to the eye and yet affecting and lingers in the mind long after. I first saw it on release in an art cinema and was knocked out. Now 24 years later it is still a great film for me and so I recommend it. But not for the faint hearted or if you like something that fits in a known box. The story follows the fortunes of a young girl sold to an ageing wine maker who suffers from VD. Her wedding procession is hilarious and sets the scene for the thread of love that weaves through the film and holds it together. Naively told yet it handles complex and difficult subjects.

So different and beautiful. Story, treatment and ending reminds me of old Indian movies in regional languages. Like folk-tales. So raw and artistic, as if the makers didn't worry much about the money.

Striking, emotive film, entertaining, harrowing and beautiful. Saw this film years ago and found it deeply moving. Perhaps not typically Art film but not all great films have to be and are in fact are perhaps better for this on occasions. Like in fact certain iconic pieces of pop music that have a great effect on the multitude of the population - not great music perhaps .... yet...

This was not what I thought....The description used the word, 'delightful' - and the subject matter surely could not be described with that word. I did enjoy it for the Mandarin as I am learning the language and it was clear and fairly sparse. The red theme was good to watch.

Fab

and it shows - evidence of low budget, variable pace in the film, variable acting too. The plot borders on melodrama at times but the film is worth watching and fascinating within the context of Zhang learning his craft as a Film Director.

It's about a young lady that got married to a wine maker, in Sorghum village, it's a true story, told by her grandson. Not very entertaining.