The Story of Qiu Ju

The Story of Qiu Ju - 2003-02-19. Director: Zhang Yimou. Cast: Gong Li, Li Lao Sheng, Liu Peiqin. 1993, Color, 100 minutes. This film is an extraordinary collaboration between the master of Chinese cinema, Zhang Yimou, and his brilliant star, Gong Li, crystallizing a modern tale about the slippery relationship between law and justice, as revealed in the fierce battle of an extraordinarily determined woman against the various layers of the Chinese judicial system. Once again, the powerful storyteller of Chinese cinema addresses a struggle for power that continues until its bitter end, but this time the atmosphere of the story is infused with humor, playfulness, and vibrant dynamism, where the style of varietal cinema and open neo-realism (by recounting incidental details) replaces the cramped space and heaviness of his previous dramas. Gong Li plays Qiu Ju, the pregnant wife of a simple villager in northern China. In a dispute with the village headman, Qiu Ju's husband receives a kick to his lower body, resulting in the dysfunction of his genitalia, rendering him incapable of fulfilling marital duties. A local court resolves the matter by forcing the headman to pay a small amount, but Qiu Ju, unlike her husband who is satisfied with the court's decision, does not accept the local court's ruling and heads to the city to appeal to higher authorities and claim her rights. This effort to present a series of grievances is a mythic quest in navigating the dizzying ladder of Chinese bureaucracy. Throughout this film, in a light and harmless style, we do not see a single bad character. Almost all the judicial and governmental officials that Qiu Ju encounters treat her with respect and kindness, showing sympathy, yet none can fulfill her demands. After successive scenes where we witness Qiu Ju's plight and become familiar with her hopeless situation, we finally realize that this judicial system, as depicted, is no less crushing than Kafka's bureaucracy. The enormous machine that Qiu Ju attempts to poke at is much larger and more unfeeling than to be shaken by the cries of a desperate and helpless woman. Ultimately, with the unabashed display of Qiu Ju's desperation, the story is drawn towards its inevitable conclusion, leading to a devastatingly ironic resolution.