Chinese director Zhang Yimou specialises in stories with iron-willed heroines at their core. This simple tale of a woman's quest for justice earned Zhang some of the best reviews of his career to date and the film won the top prize, the Golden Lion, at the Venice Film Festival. Gong Li, his stunningly beautiful lead actress from the earlier Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern, again stars and delivers a knockout performance. Running as a ravishing travelogue, the action moves effortlessly from intimate scenes between just two characters to majestic mountain panoramas and bustling cityscapes - many of the crowd scenes captured using hidden cameras and microphones. A fascinating story told with great humour and affection for its characters.


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