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Ju Dou(15) (Zhang Yimou. China/Japan. 1990) Gong Li, Li Wei. Li Bao-Tian. 94 mins. In a small rural town. atyrannical old man runsa dyeing plant, where he works his compliantyoung nephewto the bone. The young mantimidlyfallsforhis uncle‘s beautiful new bride who. like herpredecessors. is treated mercilessly bythe old reprobate. As the two young people befriend each other. illicit romance and revenge cannot be far off. . . The story olJu Dou could be taken directly from a Zola novel or indeed any turn-of-the-century melodrama. In fact. the setting is China in the 19203 and. for Western audiencesthefamiliarity olthetheme will merely add piquancy to a tragedy that takes its remorseless logic from China‘sstern social laws olthetime. The story‘s peculiarpowerderives from the visual charge given to it by Zhang (directorofRed Sorghum and collaboratorolYellow Earth director Chen Kaige). The vicious triangle of the

$451 ‘3.

young lovers and their tormentortakes place in the hothouse confines of the plant. whose claustrophobic verticals. long unfurling rolls oftissue and stridently coloured dye pools combine throughoutto intense emotional and symbolic effect. Within this frame, Zhangtightensthe gripolthetragedy notch by notch. as the lovers‘ predicamentis intensified bythe arrival olJu Dou'sson. an implacable juggernautofa child. Cruel as its logic is. Ju Dou is a very beautiful film and. with thefinelytuned performances of Gong Li and Li Wei as the doomed couple. sometimes a very erotic one. It‘s rare to find a film dealing with such intense drama and with such sustained density. Dramatically and visually. this is one of the richest and most intense filmsto be seenforsometime. (Jonathan Romney)

Glasgow Film Theatre Fri 29 Mar—Sat 6 April.

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I Look Who's Talking Too l .-\ni_\ Heeker‘ling. ('5. WV] llnhn 'l rmnltu. KlHllL‘ .»\l|e_\ . \s itli the \ niees nl Briiet.

MICHAEL PALIN

MERICAN Jlineups

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lite list I: Mitreli ~1:\pril 199121

EDINBURGH j CLERK sr.