Red Sorghum

Synopsis

"Red Sorghum" is Zhang Yimou's directorial debut in 1988, starring Gong Li and Jiang Wen, adapted from Mo Yan's novel of the same name. It tells a powerful and tragic story set in the sorghum fields of Gaomi, Shandong during the War of Resistance against Japan. With a Douban rating of 8.5, it won the Golden Bear at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival, marking the first Chinese film to receive a top prize at an international A-list film festival.

Overview

Red Sorghum is a Chinese film released in 1988, directed by Zhang Yimou and written by Chen Jianyu, Zhu Wei, and Mo Yan. It is adapted from Mo Yan's 1986 novellas Red Sorghum and Sorghum Wine. The film stars Gong Li and Jiang Wen, with Teng Rujun among the cast. The film has a runtime of 91 minutes and a Douban rating of 8.5. In 1988, it won the Golden Bear at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival, marking the first time a Chinese film received the top prize at an International A-category film festival and signifying Chinese cinema's formal entry onto the world stage.

Red Sorghum is Zhang Yimou's directorial debut and also Gong Li's film debut. With its intensely vibrant colors and narrative full of primitive vitality, the film portrays the love, hatred, and tragic resistance of a group of ordinary farmers in Gaomi Township, Shandong, during the War of Resistance against Japan. The red sorghum field in the film has become one of the most symbolic visual images in the history of Chinese cinema.

Plot

The story takes place in Gaomi Township, Shandong, in the 1930s. The beautiful and stubborn girl Jiu'er (Gong Li) is married off by her greedy father to the over-fifty-year-old owner of a winery, Li Datou. On the way to the wedding, Jiu'er is kidnapped by a masked man but is rescued by the sedan chair bearer Yu Zhan'ao (Jiang Wen). The two have a passionate encounter in the red sorghum field and become husband and wife.

After Li Datou's death, Jiu'er takes over the winery, and Yu Zhan'ao becomes her husband. Under Jiu'er's management, the sorghum wine business at Eighteen Li Slope thrives. The master brewer, Uncle Luohan (Teng Rujun), uses a secret family recipe to brew the famous "Eighteen Li Red" wine.

However, the tranquility of the land is shattered by the arrival of Japanese invaders. The Japanese army invades Gaomi Township, burning, killing, and looting, forcing the local people to build roads. Uncle Luohan is brutally killed and skinned by the Japanese soldiers as a public warning for his resistance. Jiu'er and Yu Zhan'ao organize the villagers to use sorghum wine as a weapon to ambush a Japanese convoy. In that fiery red sorghum field, a tragic battle is about to unfold.

Cast

Cultural Impact

Red Sorghum is a landmark work in the history of Chinese cinema. It not only marks a significant breakthrough for Chinese films internationally but also ushered in the glorious era of the Fifth Generation directors. The swaying red sorghum field in the film has become one of the most iconic visual symbols in Chinese cinema.

In the film, Zhang Yimou demonstrates his extraordinary mastery of color. The entire film is dominated by the color red—red sorghum, red wine, the red sun, the red bridal veil—symbolizing the passion of life, the tragedy of bloodshed, and the indomitable spirit of the nation. This extreme use of color became a signature characteristic of Zhang Yimou's subsequent films.

The film's music is equally unforgettable. Zhang Yimou invited the then relatively unknown composer Zhao Jiping to score the film. Zhao adapted the northern Shaanxi folk song "Sister, Go Boldly Forward" into the film's theme song. This rugged and unrestrained song perfectly matches the primitive vitality of the film and has become a classic in Chinese film music.

Mo Yan's original novel won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012, leading to a re-evaluation of the literary value of the film Red Sorghum. In 2014, Zheng Xiaolong directed a television series adaptation of Red Sorghum, starring Zhou Xun, which also received positive reception.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/1306505/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/红高粱
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/红高粱_(电影)