Ju Dou

Released 1990
Stars Gong Li,  Li Baotian, Li Wei, Zhang Yi, Zheng Jian
Directed by Zhang Yimou

Striking, visually magnificent drama, set during the 1920s, telling the tragic story of a young peasant woman who's forced to wed an elderly, bitter factory owner, and commences an affair with his nephew. This was banned in China, supposedly because of its focus on individual values and unflattering depiction of the old man (in a nation ruled by a small elite group of old men); also the authorities supposedly feared that audiences would see it as a metaphor for the way China's leaders control society. First Chinese film ever to earn a Best Foreign Film Academy Award nomination--and those responsible for entering it in the competition were disciplined by their superiors. Controversy aside, a powerful, provocative film.

Summary by Leonard Maltin