Red Sorghum
7.2/10
Rating
91 min
Runtime
1988
Release Year
Zhang Yimou
Director
Cast
Gong Li, Jiang Wen, Teng Rujun, Liu Ji, Qian Ming
Quick Synopsis
In a remote region known for its sorghum fields, an elderly man with leprosy who owned a sorghum winery passes away. His wife, Jiu'er, along with her lover—referred to as "my Grandpa" by the story's narrator—assume control of the winery. Together, they establish a close-knit, female-led community with Jiu'er as its leader. When Japanese forces invade the area and destroy the sorghum fields to build a road, the community unites to resist the occupation, standing firm as the sorghum plants regrow.
Detailed Synopsis of Red Sorghum
An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.
