★★★★ The Story of Qui Ju

[Gino: 4.0]

Gino says: 'This film comes from the director of martial arts extravaganzas "Hero", "House of Flying Daggers", and "Curse of the Golden Flower." All quite good films, if at times over-slick. This film is a 180 degree departure from those in terms of style. It tells the story of a rural peasant woman's quiet but relentless search for justice after her husband is kicked in the family jewels by the local party "chief." One of those films that feel so naturalistic that you would be surprised if any but the main actors were indeed professionals. What I liked most about it was that (to me anyway) it did not set up a clear "here is the good protagonist -- here is the evil party official" etc. As she works her way up and down the daunting communist bureaucracy, everyone is pretty much fair and trying to do their jobs, as I imagine people are in real life. It is not an emotional roller-coaster ride filled with political messages so that in the end the simple (English) title is surprisingly apt and to the point: "The Story of Qui Ju." '