Ju Dou

Ju Dou is set in the early 20th century in rural China. Yang Tianqing (Li Baotian) returns from a journey to sell silk for his adoptive uncle, Yang Jinshan (Li Wei). Jinshan, a fabric dyer, is notorious for his cruelty. Upon Tianqing's return, another worker is fired by Jinshan. This worker informs Tianqing that Jinshan has recently acquired a new wife, having previously beaten his two wives to death when they failed to bear him a son. Ironically, Jinshan is impotent.

When Tianqing meets the new wife, Ju Dou (Gong Li), he becomes infatuated with her. At night, Jinshan subjects Ju Dou to torture. Tianqing discovers Ju Dou's bathing area and secretly observes her. Unbeknownst to him, Ju Dou is aware of his presence. Initially, Tianqing voyeuristically watches, but Ju Dou transforms his gaze by revealing her bruises and weeping, compelling him to see her as a human being rather than just a sexual object.{{Cite book |last=Larson |first=Wendy |title=Zhang Yimou: Globalization and the Subject of Culture |publisher=Cambria Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781604979756 |location=Amherst, New York |pages=77–104}}

Eventually, their passion becomes uncontrollable, and Tianqing and Ju Dou engage in a sexual relationship. When Ju Dou discovers she is pregnant with Tianqing's child, she and Tianqing deceive Jinshan by pretending the child is his. Jinshan suffers a stroke that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. After Ju Dou confesses the truth to him, Jinshan attempts to kill the child and set the house on fire. Tianqing restrains Jinshan by suspending him in a barrel, rendering him a powerless witness to their usurpation. Aware that society would never accept her infidelity, Ju Dou seeks an abortion at a nunnery. Jinshan continues to exert influence over the child, Tianbai, whom he named, and when the child addresses Jinshan as "Father," Jinshan interprets it as psychological revenge against his wife and nephew. One day, despite his doting on Tianbei, Jinshan falls into a dye vat and drowns as Tianbei looks on and laughs.

Seven years later, Ju Dou and Tianqing still operate the dye mill, but Tianbai (Zheng Ji'an) has become an angry teenager. Rumors of his parents' infidelity drive him to nearly kill a local gossipmonger. In a fit of rage, Ju Dou reveals the truth about his parentage to Tianbai. Overwhelmed, she and Tianqing decide to have one final encounter but succumb to exhaustion and fall asleep in a cellar with limited air supply. Upon discovering his parents in a weakened state in the cellar, Tianbai drags them out and drowns Tianqing. Ju Dou, in turn, sets fire to the mill as the film concludes.

In the original novel, Tianqing is Jinshan's biological nephew, and the story revolves around a taboo relationship based on affinity. However, the creators of the film adaptation chose to exclude the incestuous element. In the film, Tianqing and Jinshan are portrayed as unrelated by blood, and Ju Dou initiates her relationship with Tianqing only after discovering their non-biological connection.Gateward, Frances K. Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations with filmmakers series, ISSN 1556-1593). University Press of Mississippi, 2001. {{ISBN|1578062624}}, 9781578062621. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=b43KHpqy1D8C&pg=PA159 159].

• Gong Li, as Ju Dou (S: 菊豆, T: 菊荳, P: Jú Dòu);
• Li Baotian, as Yang Tianqing (S: 杨天青, T: 楊天青, P: Yáng Tiānqīng), Ju Dou's lover and Yang Jinshan's adopted nephew;
• Li Wei, as Yang Jinshan (S: 杨金山, T: 楊金山, P: Yáng Jīnshān), the owner of the dye mill and Ju Dou's husband;
• Yi Zhang, as Yang Tianbai (S: 杨天白, T: 楊天白, P: Yáng Tiānbái) as a child; Ju Dou and Tianqing's son;
• Zheng Ji'an, as Tianbai as a youth.

Ju Dou was released by Miramax Films in March 1991.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=239}}

Ju Dou has an approval rating of 100% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, and an average rating of 8.3/10.[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ju_dou Rotten Tomatoes]

• Cannes Film Festival, 1990
• Luis Buñuel Special Award
• Palme d'Or (nominated){{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/175/year/1990.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Ju Dou |access-date=2009-08-05|work=festival-cannes.com}}
• Valladolid International Film Festival, 1990
• Golden Spike
• Chicago International Film Festival, 1990
• Gold Hugo
• Norwegian International Film Festival, 1990
• Best Foreign Feature Film (Amanda)
• 63rd Academy Awards, 1991
• Best Foreign Language Film (nominated)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNLiOcFJBeQ "Journey of Hope" Wins Foreign Language Film: 1991 Oscars]

• Time Out 100 Best Chinese Mainland Films – No. 21{{cite web|url=http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/features/Books__Film-Interviews__Features/28696/100-best-Chinese-Mainland-Films-the-countdown/9/30-21.html|title=100 best Chinese Mainland Films|work=Time Out|access-date=14 March 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095459/http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/features/Books__Film-Interviews__Features/28696/100-best-Chinese-Mainland-Films-the-countdown/9/30-21.html|url-status=dead}}
• Included in The New York Times's list of The Best 1000 Movies Ever Made in 2004{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html|title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made|work=The New York Times|access-date=14 March 2016}}

Ju Dou was initially released on DVD in the United States as an all-region disc on the Pioneer label, Geneon Entertainment, on June 29, 1999. The disc included English subtitles.[https://www.amazon.com/Ju-Dou-Li-Dong/dp/B073VZQ5MP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ju+dou&qid=1608498222&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1 Amazon.com: Ju Dou]

The film was re-released by Razor Digital Entertainment on February 14, 2006 as part of the new Zhang Yimou collection to capitalize on Zhang's recent international successes of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The new edition was Region 1 and included English, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese subtitles. Despite the DVD box stating that the film is presented in widescreen, it is actually presented in full frame.[https://www.amazon.com/Ju-Dou-Gong-Li/dp/B000BBOU54/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Amazon.com: Ju Dou]

• List of submissions to the 63rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Chinese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |title=The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994 |publisher=McFarland |date=1996 |isbn=0-7864-0032-3 }}

{{Refend}}

• {{IMDb title|0099902}}
• {{rotten-tomatoes|ju_dou}}
• {{Mojo title|judou}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koigh4tVnsU Excerpt]

{{Zhang Yimou}}

{{Chinese submission for Academy Awards}}

{{Portal bar|China|Film}}

Category:1990 films

Category:1990 romantic drama films

Category:Japanese romantic drama films

Category:Chinese romantic drama films

Category:1990s Mandarin-language films

Category:Films directed by Zhang Yimou

Category:Films with screenplays by Liu Heng (writer)

Category:Films based on Chinese novels