Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou

Zhang Yimou's Jou Dou is a powerful drama of forbidden love and heartbreaking tragedy. Par for the course for Zhang Yimou whose credits also includes other powerful films like Raise the Red Lantern and To Live.

The story centers around a young woman named Ju Dou played by the Beautiful and tragic Gong Li. She is sold into a marriage with an impotent and brutal Dye mill owner much her senior. He takes his impotency out on her by beating her every night leaving her with cuts and bruises. When she seems to lose heart she finds herself in a romance with the brutal dyers younger much kinder nephew.

First thing to focus on is the great acting from Gong Li. When Gong Li is in a romantic roll she seems to always make each scene so believable. Every little nuzzle and gesture adds to a level of endearment and involvement that is rare in film. She portrays enough passion on screen for both herself and her counterpart.

Everything in this film is brought to a slow boil before finally it spills over. Every thread of the plot is brought about from beginning to end in a complete arc. Nothing is ever rushed or thrown in which helps the film avoid cheap melodrama cliches. The romance builds slowly but genuinely which leads to a more emotive experience. By the time tragedy strikes I loved the love our main characters so much that it really hits hard.

My issue with this film is an odd one as it is not with the film itself but the only DVD you can watch it on. You can tell its a gorgeous film filled with soft hues and generally great cinematography. Unfortunately the only DVD release you can get in the US is of terrible quality. Colors which on the screen should have been vibrant and powerful seem washed out and dull. To give you a good comparison go buy a 1$ DVD of some old horror movie like Dementia 13 and see how crappy that film looks, then you'll have an idea. Where is the Criterion collection when you need them?

Zhang Yimou is arguably the world's great living director of tragedy. Ju Dou is just another point in that direction for me.

5/5 "Great Film, Find another way to see it than this horrid DVD"