Red Sorghum (2014)

Synopsis

Adapted from Nobel laureate Mo Yan's novel of the same name, this 60-episode drama directed by Zheng Xiaolong stars Zhou Xun and Zhu Yawen. Set in 1920s-30s Shandong, it follows the fierce and passionate Jiu'er through love, conflict, and the Japanese invasion.

Overview

Red Sorghum is a 2014 Chinese television drama adapted from the novel series of the same name by Mo Yan, the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Directed by renowned director Zheng Xiaolong (known for Empresses in the Palace and Golden Marriage), the series stars Zhou Xun, Zhu Yawen, Yu Rongguang, and Qin Hailu in leading roles. The series runs for 60 episodes.

Set in Gaomi Northeast Township in Shandong Province during the 1920s and 1930s, Red Sorghum uses the red sorghum fields as its narrative thread, telling the legendary life story of Jiu'er (Dai Jiulian), a woman of fierce temperament and passionate spirit, in a time of chaos. The story spans from the early Republic of China era through the Japanese invasion, interweaving themes of love, family feuds, and national righteousness.

Plot

Jiu'er (played by Zhou Xun) is a strong-willed, passionate rural woman. She is originally in love with Yu Zhan'ao (Zhu Yawen) but is sold by her father to become the bride of the Shan family. In the Shan household, she faces numerous hardships but remains unyielding. Yu Zhan'ao is a passionate young man who engages in a tumultuous love affair with Jiu'er amidst the red sorghum fields of Gaomi Northeast Township.

As the story progresses, Japanese invaders enter Shandong. Jiu'er, Yu Zhan'ao, and the people of Gaomi set aside their grievances and unite to resist the Japanese forces. In the red sorghum fields, they compose a heroic saga of courage and sacrifice.

Cast

Production and Cultural Significance

Director Zheng Xiaolong brings his signature period drama style to the production, bringing Mo Yan's Gaomi Northeast Township to the screen. Zhou Xun delivers a masterful performance, portraying a strong-willed rural woman with the same skill she showed in films like The Equation of Love and Death. The series was filmed on location in Gaomi, Shandong, with extensive shooting in actual sorghum fields that recreates the rich regional color of the original work.

The series premiered in 2014 to widespread critical acclaim, with ratings consistently ranking among the top nationwide. Zhou Xun received multiple best actress nominations for her performance. As the first television adaptation of Mo Yan's work after he received the Nobel Prize, Red Sorghum attracted enormous attention.

Red sorghum as a cultural symbol holds special significance in Chinese literature. In Mo Yan's original work, the red sorghum symbolizes vigorous vitality, wildness, and an unyielding spirit. The television series inherits this symbolism, using the sorghum fields as witness to the characters' fates and the changes of the era.

References

1. Douban - Red Sorghum (2014): movie.douban.com/subject/25798413
2. Baidu Baike - Red Sorghum (TV drama): baike.baidu.com/item/红高粱
3. Wikipedia - Red Sorghum (TV series): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sorghum_(TV_series)
4. Mo Yan, Red Sorghum Clan, Writers Publishing House
5. Zheng Xiaolong director filmography