Change Your Image
j_uriz
Reviews
Qiu Ju da guan si (1992)
Yet another masterpiece
I just finished watching the film for the second time and loved it more than the first screening. I am in no way an authority in Chinese customs but I do know a bit about the importance of losing face, which is the crux of the movie. I don't see this film as one that plods along to it's conclusion as a previous review stated. Rather the film is neatly structured, showing Qui Ju taking her case from one level to the next and the next. She is insistent on making sure that the right thing is done. The conclusion (in my opinion) is not the expected one and causes the weight of the previous 100 minutes to impact the viewer. The films cyclical pattern of appeal, rejection, and appeal may be monotonous to some viewers. Not Zhang Yimou's best film as the previous reviewer mentioned, but well worth watching. If you want that check out "To Live". I would say it is one of Gong Li's most interesting performances though.