1988's Red Sorghum was part of the first wave of fifth generation directors. While I don't think this is one of the best films Zhang Yimou has directed, it definitely is a good one. Its plot has some striking similarities with his later films Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern, seeing as all three movies deal with Gong Li being married to a (rich) man.
Gong Li is pretty good in this film, although maybe not as memorable as some of her other parts. Jiang Wen's character is by far the most interesting character from the movie to me. He is somewhat of a scoundrel, starting off as a somewhat morally gray man. As the film progresses, he grows closer to Gong Li's character.
The last part of the movie deals with the Second Sino-Japanese War and the invasion of the Imperial Japanese Army. Up to this point, the film has been relatively light to digest. However, the last part adds drama by depicting some of the horrors that the occupation brought with it.
The film's end is definitely one of the highlights here. I won't spoil it, but it makes a great case of why Zhang Yimou is often referred to as the 'Master of Color'. It's nothing short of amazing.
In conclusion, while I definitely like this film, it does miss some of the drive and drama that are present in Zhang's best films. Besides the amazing ending, the movie just didn't blow me away. What it did do was paint a convincing image of life in rural China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Gong Li is pretty good in this film, although maybe not as memorable as some of her other parts. Jiang Wen's character is by far the most interesting character from the movie to me. He is somewhat of a scoundrel, starting off as a somewhat morally gray man. As the film progresses, he grows closer to Gong Li's character.
The last part of the movie deals with the Second Sino-Japanese War and the invasion of the Imperial Japanese Army. Up to this point, the film has been relatively light to digest. However, the last part adds drama by depicting some of the horrors that the occupation brought with it.
The film's end is definitely one of the highlights here. I won't spoil it, but it makes a great case of why Zhang Yimou is often referred to as the 'Master of Color'. It's nothing short of amazing.
In conclusion, while I definitely like this film, it does miss some of the drive and drama that are present in Zhang's best films. Besides the amazing ending, the movie just didn't blow me away. What it did do was paint a convincing image of life in rural China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.