Red Sorghum

A masterful 1930s-set debut from Zhang Yimou also featuring the first performance from his muse Gong Li. On the way to meet her new husband, a leper, a young woman is seduced by one of the servants carrying her sedan. After the mysterious death of her husband, the woman takes over his winery and enters a relationship with the servant. The optimism of the film's first half is nicely counterbalanced by the film's sudden shift into a more tragic register when the Japanese invade.

This is an examplary examination of peasant life in China during the 30s and features a typically radiant performance from Gong Li. As with his later films, former cinematographer Zhang makes expressive use of colour here, in particular a couple of beautiful sunsets. Above anything else it's a story of resilience. No-one attempts to understand or explain the barbarism of the Japanese invasion, they react in the only way that feels appropriate. This is a bold, striking movie that shows both director and muse firing on all cylinders.