Red Sorghum (Hong gao liang) (1987)

100% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(3,685 ratings)

Set in the northern province of Shandong during the 1920s and early 30s, a young bride, on her way to a prearranged future with the leprous owner of a wine distillery, avoids rape and then abduction, is seduced, takes over her mysteriously dead husband's business, is captured, then ransomed and… More Set in the northern province of Shandong during the 1920s and early 30s, a young bride, on her way to a prearranged future with the leprous owner of a wine distillery, avoids rape and then abduction, is seduced, takes over her mysteriously dead husband's business, is captured, then ransomed and ultimately perishes during the Manchurian invasion by the Japanese.

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Yimou Zhang
Written By: Chen Jianyu, Zhu Wei, Mo Yan
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

On DVD: Jan 23, 1992

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

Hey! let's all celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gong Li and Zhang Yimou's brilliant double debut Red Sorghum by getting it realeased here on DVD. Oh, I have no power to achieve that. I can make a list.
Jennifer X

So lush in a completely surprising way, but the story is boring. The best scene was when the servant guy rapes Gong Li in the sorghum fields.
Linda K

RED SORGHUM might be the best Chinese film i've ever seen! Aesthetically, this film beats most of the American films which use CGI or any kind of digital technology to make their films look great. Yimou's use of color, sound and landscapes illustrate the whole atmosphere… More
RED SORGHUM might be the best Chinese film i've ever seen! Aesthetically, this film beats most of the American films which use CGI or any kind of digital technology to make their films look great. Yimou's use of color, sound and landscapes illustrate the whole atmosphere of the film. In terms of its narrative, the film treats on political issues set in the 1920s-30s. There are also some sexual tension between the characters which was less explicit before. Overall, this film is both tragic and comic. Director Zhang Yimou balances both very well. It is indeed a heavy film to watch but worth seeing! Basically, this is the Chinese film to see!
MJS M

This 90 minute Chinese epic has never been released on DVD, as such I?ve had it on my ?to see? list for a while. Luckily I stumbled across a VHS copy of it at a library recently. Unfortunately, because I no longer have a VCR, I had to watch it at the library on a crappy 12 inch TV.… More
This 90 minute Chinese epic has never been released on DVD, as such I?ve had it on my ?to see? list for a while. Luckily I stumbled across a VHS copy of it at a library recently. Unfortunately, because I no longer have a VCR, I had to watch it at the library on a crappy 12 inch TV. It amazes me that I once thought VHS is an acceptable format, my viewing of the film was characterized by fuzzy graininess. This is particularly unfortunate because a big part of this film?s appeal comes from its lush, colorful cinematography. This was the first film directed by Zhang Yimou, and it also marked the screen debut of Gong Li. The film chronicles the rise and fall of a Chinese winery from the 1920s through World War 2. The story itself is rather melodramatic, but not necessarily bad. I was never particularly attached to the characters, and the whole thing kind of devolves into anti-Japanese propaganda in the last act. Still, this is clearly an important landmark in mainland China?s modern cinema, and it makes me want to explore more early Yimou films.