The Story of Qui Ju

Chinese actress Gong Li is heartbreakingly brilliant as farm woman Qui Ju. When her husband is kicked and beaten without provocation by the arrogant village leader, Qui Ju wants an apology and explanation. When none are forthcoming, she takes her case to the national government, where she becomes mummified in bureaucratic red tape. As Qui Ju goes from individual to statistic, her story becomes everybody's story, and the viewer will be hard put not to empathize with the poor woman's plight. Story of Qui Ju was another triumphant collaboration for Chinese director Zhang Yimou and his favorite actress Gong Li (they had previously worked together on such films as the international favorite Raise the Red Lantern). While the film was heavily censored in its native China, Qui Ju was released intact to the rest of the world, to universal acclaim.