Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

ironhorse_iv Directed by Zhang Yimou as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. This film adaption of Chen Yuanbin's novella The Wan Family's Lawsuit tells the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju (Gong Li), who lives in a rural area of China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village head, Qiu Ju, despite her pregnancy, travels around looking for a apology. When apology isn't given, she goes to the nearby town to find the policemen to press charges, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats to try to find justice for her husband. Her lack-back husband, on the other hand is just happier to just move on, and let bygones be bygones, but for Qiu Ju, it becomes a never ending cycle dealing with lawyers, judges, and courts. It's a humorous fable of justice that shows how justice is distributed varies between classes. Gong Li is wonderful as Qiu Ju, a tenacious farmer determined to right a wrong done to her husband. If watching this film with hopes of seeing Gong Li's ravishing beauty, you will be disappointed. She is blandly dressed and pregnant through most of the film. Defying all stereotypes of the passive Chinese woman, she remains unbowed by the frustrations of bureaucracy in her quixotic search for dignity. In this case, "The Story of Qiu Ju" shows how the legal authorities find money as a just compensation, whereas Qiu Ju finds an apology more appropriate. The movie has a Frank Capra, Mr. Smith goes to Washington feel to it, with a simple-minded person go to the government looking for change. Also the camera work whose influence comes directly from the Italian Nero Realism films such as Francis Truffaunt's 'the 400 Blows' as the ending nearly mimics that ending shot using the freeze frame and close up. The story feels like Bicycle Thieves due to it's well narrated story about the modern day parable that explores the gray area between seeking justice and exacting revenge is chilling. It is a cautionary tale as well since it shows that justice is not an absolute. Justice can be a somewhat intangible concept - something that needs to be defined by the human experience. One person's injustice can be another person's justice. The movie intent to expose the daunting bureaucratic Chinese government, with it's use of comedy, drama, and political satire. Although the film takes place in China, there is a sense that it could be just about anywhere in the world since the struggles contained within are so universal in nature. The snakelike pathways of the bureaucracy to an unexpected outcome is a universal problem that is as much in evidence in a Democracy as well as Communist. The resulting film, as an exercise in frustration, is as essential an addition to the "literature" of the law as Dickens' Bleak House or Trollope's Orley Farm, and should be on the curriculum of every law school. The movie is a bit of a frustration to get through as well. The faults of the film are that the movie is hard to get through in one sitting, there are long periods of non-talking, and nothing going on screen, and the never ending tragic results of Qiu Ju not getting her way. The slow-paced temp of the film really hurt the film. The kick is never shown, but the entire film is based around it. I would love to see the action being case, but having the kick not show add another layer of mystery. The humor is dry, but it's funny that one point that the director seems eager to make is that the people are not hungry in China. Nearly ever other scene shows people eating. The film lacks any of the visually stunning as his other film 'The Road Home', but it's does what it can with the shots, they have. The rural scenes and settings are real. The village, journeys and settings are all real China, not a Hollywood set. The background actors are incredibly real people who don't work for screen actors guild. It's feel like Communist China. While the film might be for all audiences, it's worth checking out

randomazn This movie, "The Story of Qiu Ju", follows the actions of the main character Qiu Ju, a determined rural resident who seeks out authorities after her husband is kicked by her village chief.One thing I liked about the movie was the plot - it was fresh and original. In addition, the ending had a nice little twist to it (although it was somewhat obvious what was going to happen).I also found the movie to be very cleverly written, as they implemented comedy in a very subtle manner. One example is when Qiu Ju and her sister-in-law were in the city and they had just bought "city clothes". They looked very entertaining in those clothes, but also that scene was not made purely for comedy, because the writers were also trying to show that they were very country-side oriented and had probably never been to the city and they were trying to show how their lack of experience through their incorrect wearing of clothing.

j_uriz 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.

danstephan3000 After earning film festival awards and critical acclaim worldwide for his powerful tragedies, Director Zhang Yimou explores new themes in 'The Story of Qiu Ju.'Once again, he examines social injustice but this time avoids dark visions. The tone is ironic, but not angry or tragic, and the story often flashes with humor and wit. Some critics describe this film as a protest by Zhang Yimou against the Chinese government. Yet, the tale could be placed in any village in East Asia or, indeed, in any time and place one finds misunderstanding, wounded pride, conflict, and resolution.Gong Li, so beautiful in other films, reveals her acting versatility by portraying Qiu Ju (roughly pronounced as 'show chew'), as a hugely pregnant peasant. Gong Li had prepared for this role by living for months in a village of Northeast China to learn the local dialect and to get a feeling for this rural culture.The story begins when Qiu Ju demands an apology from her village chief, who had injured her husband during a quarrel with a blow to the groin. She goes to higher and higher levels of government in her appeals for this apology, even after her husband and others urge her to settle for money. At the end, after some surprises, she and the chief have both learned some life lessons. In the opening scene, Zhang Yimou draws us steadily into the rhythms and mood of the story when his camera gradually brings us past strolling pedestrians to introduce us to Qiu Ju and another peasant woman helping to push her disabled husband in a cart. We can see in this shot, and in other scenes, that bystanders were not aware what was going on.Some even give puzzled looks at the camera, adding to the film's gentle humor.Many other episodes gradually take us further into the culture and its story. For example, when Qiu Ju comes to the local government office to start her appeals, we first wait and watch while two teen-agers register their marriage. The district administrator has some fun by asking the shy youngsters if they will still love each other after their wedding night. After hearing Qiu Ju's story, this district administrator urges her to settle for cash from the village chief. Yet, she pushes onward, patiently assisted in this by her woman companion in appeals for an apology to higher and higher levels of government. One of the film's best portraits is of this little peasant woman quietly standing by Qiu Ju's side.She never questions nor complains; we all hope for friends like that.The film's quiet tone and slow pace also give us time to appreciate some underlying social criticisms. Qiu Ju hires a lawyer to write and deliver a petition to the court. He tells her he will make sure that justice is served. She seems impressed. 'So!! You get money to make sure the right thing is done. Being a lawyer is good!!'Yet, it doesn't turn out so well for her. The highest court in Xian, the provincial capital, has an impressive courtroom and set of procedures. Its jury of several judges collects testimony and ponders at length, but once again the verdict is upheld…..money but no apology. This seems to be the end of the tale. Some big surprises turn the story in a new direction. She and the chief next learn to respect each other, but……See for yourself how it all turns out. You won't forget the vision of Qiu Ju at the end, bewildered and regretful, getting a verdict in her favor but that she did not want.Those who have lived in any East Asian village will understand why Qiu Ju was urged to take money but not force the chief to lose face. As one Chinese woman explained to me, '….we and our families for generations lived too close to each other. We just had to get along. This was not always easy…..' She added that 'The Story of Qiu Ju' is the most understanding and affectionate portrait she had ever seen of the rural culture she knew as a child. Some Thai friends told me that the film also evoked childhood memories of their village life, where a Buddhist monk would arbitrate personal disputes and act to restore calm.PS: This film was made in 1992, after the ending of the Chinese cultural revolution enabled Zhang Yimou to enroll in the new Beijing Film Academy. Since then, he's made many films with worldwide renown, including 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'Red Sorghum' with Gong Li and, more recently, 'Not One Less' and 'Hero'. You should be able to find 'Story of Qiu Ju' at any good video shop. It's already a classic.