Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Red Sorghum

Red Sorghum

Seen it?

1988 | 91 min | Drama, Romance, History

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for romantics and history buffs. If you loved The French Lieutenant's Woman or Casualties of War, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Harrowing, warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 31 min.
What might put you off
It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    85% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.4 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Berlin award: Golden Bear. Plus 3 other awards.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 44K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Zhang Yimou

  • Gong LiJiu'er
  • Jiang WenYu
  • Teng RujunUncle Luohan
  • Liu JiJiu'er's Son
  • Qian MingJiu'er's Grandmother
  • Ji ChunhuaSanpao
  • Zhai ChunhuaHu Er
  • Jia Zhaoji
  • Zhang Yuxiang
  • Zhou Guiyun