Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Red Sorghum Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 16, 2021

Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new program with film critic Tony Rayns archival interview with the director. In Mandarin, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Opinions vary and it is very possible that in China there are other films that are viewed as equally good or even better, but on the international scene Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum is still considered by many the most impressive directorial debut to emerge from the country in three decades. After winning the prestigious Golden Bear Award in Berlin, the film permanently placed the spotlight not only on its creator but also on actress Gong Li and since then their work has been one of the Chinese film industry’s best exports.

Rural China, sometime during the 1930s. A voice behind the camera casually explains that Nainai (Gong Li) is on her way to a remote village where she is expected to take over the management of a large winery. It is just days after she has married and lost her husband, a leprous man who had no chance of surviving a terrible disease.

While passing through a cornfield, Nainai’s sedan chair carriers are stunned by a masked brute that abducts the young widow and then not too far away from the dusty road rapes her. She quietly returns to the carriers and eventually they reach her new home. On the following day, Nainai is introduced to the winery workers and after a round of pleasantries they begin work on the first run of sorghum wine. But the rowdy drunkard Luohan (Jiang Wen) sabotages their work and after no one dares to confront him pees in the fresh wine. The man also brags that he has made love to Nainai without facing opposition. The revelation surprises the peasant workers, and their leader’s discovery later that night that the “damaged wine” actually tastes a lot better shocks them.

Not long after the brilliant discovery, however, the Japanese Army invades China and reaches the provincial area where Nainai operates the winery. The invaders destroy her best fields and then turn the winemakers into slaves. When the bravest amongst them rise up to reclaim their honor and defend the land, the invaders crush them and then stage a brutal public execution to prevent future troubles.

Red Sorghum is a film of numerous contrasts that quickly become so extreme that they actually completely change its structural identity. In fact, they do it multiple times and with such eagerness that the tonal shifts that emerge throughout the film can become quite perplexing to some western viewers.

But this isn’t an overlooked flaw of the narrative. On the contrary, some of the shifts are so drastic that it is a total giveaway that they are in fact intentionally exaggerated for optimal effect. So while telling a very dramatic period story about dignity, oppression, and the value of freedom, the film makes it practically impossible not to compare the reality in which Nainai and her winemakers are placed with the status quo that the Communist Party maintained in China during the 1980s. In other words, when seen from the proper angle the entire film functions as a very smart “wake up call”.

Of course the main reasons why the film survived the Chinese censors are the inspired acting and its truly spectacular cinematography. Indeed, while a few of the leads definitely leave lasting impressions the entire project is a team effort where everyone’s contribution is crucial. The incredible busts of rich colors -- with red intentionally being overemphasized to strengthen the narrative’s dual function -- also transform the film into an unforgettable visual feast.

Red Sorghum Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Red Sorghum arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

I expected this release to be sourced from the same 2K master that Chinese label Diskino used to produce this release in 2018. However, it is sourced from a different master, which appears to be older.

There are some pretty substantial differences and I don't know which of the two releases offers a more accurate presentation of the film. I think that I prefer the 2K master, but I must admit that it is primarily because of its overall strength. Indeed, there are very specific grading differences, and given the unique stylization choices, I think it is fair to conclude that only the director can declare with the proper authority how the film ought to look in high-definition. (You can see an example of one such discrepancy if you compare screencapture #22 with the corresponding screencapture from our review of the Chinese release).

Generally speaking, depth and clarity are quite pleasing. However, there are areas of the film where delineation fluctuates a bit and it is not because the original cinematography demands that it does. Indeed, this is the main weakness of the current master, though I must note that the encoding isn't optimized and as a result its impact on the quality of the visuals is actually exacerbated. Naturally, if you view your films on a larger screen, you will notice areas where the visuals are not as strong as they should be. Image stability is good, but I did notice a bit of shakiness popping up here and there. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Red Sorghum Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Mandarin LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The lossless track is solid. I compared it to the one from the Chinese release and I could not detect any difference. Clarity, sharpness, and overall stability are excellent. After the arrive of the Japanese soldiers, there are a couple of sequences with great dynamic intensity as well. The English translation is excellent.

Red Sorghum Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Tony Rayns on "Red Sorghum" - in this new program, critic Tony Rayns discusses in great detail Zhang Yimou's background and the history of China after the communists took control of it, the exact socio-political environment in which the director began his career, the production of Red Sorghum, and the film's critical reception. It is a fantastic program. In English, not subtitled. (62 min).

• Zhang Yimou Interview by Tony Rayns (1988) - in this archival interview, Zhang Yimou explains how he fell in love with cinema and acquired his first camera, his time at the small Guangxi Studio as a student, some of his stylistic preferences, and his directorial debut, Red Sorghum. In English and Mandarin, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (17 min).

Red Sorghum Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum is a powerful, very clever, and very risky directorial debut. I am convinced that it was conceived a lot like the great Soviet classic films, many of which had the ability to deliver completely different messages when viewed from different angles. This release is included in Australian label Via Vision Entertainment's Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li eight-disc box set. It is sourced from an older master that offers a decent presentation of the film, which could have been more convincing with a few specific encoding optimizations. RECOMMENDED.