Search - Beautiful Women of China on DVD

Gong Li -- best at the "seductress" role

Kunlin | CA | 08/12/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Beautiful Women of China represents a 3-DVD set of traditional Chinese movies,each featuring a beautiful star, and each a movie unto its own. By far, Gong Li in "Ju Dou" is the best of the triparte. She plays the wife of a husband who owns a silk dying factory. He tortures her day and night requesting that she bear him a son but can't really do his part so he takes it out of her by tying her down and beating her. She falls for one of the hired help ala Lady Chatterly's Lover who gives her a son, yet the husband claims it to be his. The rest of the plot thickens and you can imagine how it develops. Gong Li is fascinating to watch -- beautiful in face and body and plays the character well both in the verbal and non-verbal parts. Xia Lu, stars in the second DVD called Endless Way. This is a long, torturous movie of a village high up in the mountains that get their water from down below in a cistern that is slowly drying up. A push is made to tunnel through the mountain to bring water. I ached just watching the women and men carry water in wooden barrels up from the cistern and over narrow pathways to get this precious commodity to their village. Some of it gets spilled, barrels fall apart -- such as life. The secondary title of this movie might be to "bear and forbear." The third DVD is a little more modern and urbane. Life Show stars Tao Hong, another beautiful, glamorous actress who takes on the role of caring for her nephew and drug addicted brother following her mother's death. The movie takes place in a small restaurant in Shanghai. If you are into understanding Chinese culture, its nuances, geographical diversity, cinematography, etc., then buy this 3-DVD Set. The beauty of these three actresses is in their acting skills and outward appearance. American movie goers might find these three films a little exasperating."