Colorful Blockbuster from China Screens on Friday

The Coastside Film Society proudly presents Red Sorghum.

“Beautiful, visually but with that extra edge of human darkness; lust, greed, violence, death, murderous invaders, all set within or close to the wavering seas of sorghum grasses, grown for making a blood-red wine … A story that starts simply but builds into a brazen attack on the senses, the superb use of colour mixing with excellent dramatic acting, slow-moving and evocative long takes and occasional bursts of action - and some comedy, good natural comedy that's actually a joy and which breaks down any boundaries concerned with race, or time.”     Tim Kinder, IMDB.com

Fri, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Community United Methodist Sanctuary
777 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay (corner of Johnston Street)
Suggested donation: $8 adults,

The film opens with a scene of a young woman nestled deep within a sedan chair as it winds its way through the arid landscape of Northeastern China in the 1920s.  She is dreading her first encounter with the old wine merchant that her father has arranged as her new husband.  When she gets there she finds a life that is even more complicated than she could ever imagine.  Then the Japanese invade, and her life changes radically once again.

“Red Sorghum has no desire to be subtle, or muted; it wants to splash its passionate colors all over the screen with abandon, and the sheer visual impact of the film is voluptuous… Hollywood doesn't make films like this anymore, because we have forgotten how to be impressionable enough to believe them.”  Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film was brought to the Film Society by Jenny Lau of the Cinema Department at San Francisco State.   Professor Lau, a well-known scholar of Asian cinematography will introduce the film and lead the after screening discussion.

The dialog is in Mandarin and Japanese with English subtitles.   This film includes violence and adult themes and is not appropriate for young children.

More info at www.HMBFilm.org