Review of The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) by Ricardo V — 12 Feb 2008

This really is a great film and it didn't reach that level until maybe the final 20 minutes, by that time I realized that I had been swept up in a convincingly told, well told, well-presented, simple tale of a strong woman trying with all her power to do the right thing.

now compared to zhang's other films this one was a surprise in that the main female lead is not subject to male dominance, in fact, her husband would rather she left the chief alone instead of going through all the hassle of seeking justice.

she doesn't obey and goes on nevertheless. zhang's films like 'to live' and 'raise the red lantern' are better than this one, but still, this, coupled with the previous two make an impressive collection of films.

zhang is one of the best modern day directors available and he achieves the right amount of beauty, quietness, chaos needed to weave a great story. sure there are sections of the film that drag, but the film is always moving forward, though it seems kind of repetitive, it has a sense of direction.

gong li is just a fantastic actress, her performances put many hollywood a-listers to shame during this same time period in the early 90's, she has a grace, rawness and ability to mold herself into each character she chooses.

after seeing this film you would be surprised to see her in 'miami vice' because in that film she's gorgeous (which she really is) but in this film her beauty has nothing to do with the character so it is not enhanced or on display, she plays it down and looks like a common woman who grimaces, is covered in dirt, waddles around because she's very pregnant.

this isn't a hollywood beauty contest, she pushes this aside to find the root of her character and that's what ultimately makes this a great film. it's her.