Judou



Tianqing is a timid man who is accustomed to being verbally abused by his uncle, Jinshan. He enjoys his simple life and is obedient to Jinshan, despite Jinshan's harsh treatment towards him. However, when the beautiful Ju Dou enters their life, he is drawn to her and unable to pull himself away. Ju Dou is also attracted to the quiet and kind Tianqing, who is a stark opposite from the rude and harsh Jinshan. The two of them, seeking comfort away from the cruel uncle, eventually begin an affair. After Jinshan becomes paralyzed from the waist down after an accident, they believe that they can finally have the perfect life they envisioned, albeit a secret one. However, this is not the case as Jinshan turns their own son against them.
 * The Plot:**

Similar to Zhang Yi Mou's other movies, the movie has not only, but a few themes. The most obvious theme is the complexity behind a father-figure and son relationship, which is seen between Jinshan and Tianqing, Tianqing and Tianbai, and Jinshan and Tianbai. What Tianqing had failed to realize was that the main cause of his sorrow was not his uncle, but how he let himself and his life be controlled by his uncle. He did not seek happiness for himself but believed that his way of life was set to be like that. There is also the theme of the toll taken on a woman who is constrained, which in this movie was Ju Dou and how she had been sold to a cruel husband. Ju Dou had focused all her negative energy on Jinshan without realizing that Jinshan wasn't the only problem that was causing all the troubles in her life. Both Tianqing and Ju Dou needed to understand that they wouldn't gain automatic happiness if Jinshan was removed from their life, and that there are other problems that they had been overlooking. They had refused to see these problems because of their stubborn belief that Jinshan was the cause of all their problems, when in actuality, it was also because of their own beliefs and actions. Tianqing and Ju Dou had lost their sense of identity, which they needed to find through becoming independent and taking control of their own lives. Both of the themes are commonly seen in his other films, such as Raise the Red Lantern and Curse of the Golden Flower.
 * The Theme (and how it fits into the body of themes)**:

The film opens up with an introduction to the setting of the film and two of the main characters of the film, Tianqing and his cruel adoptive uncle Jinshan. Tianqing went away on a trip to sell silk, and has finally returned to Jinshan's house. His uncle, who is rude and harsh, demands to know what took him so long and why he didn't just die during his trip. This shows the relationship between Jinshan, the much more powerful figure in the household, and obedient Tianqing. Tianqing is unable to stand up to his uncle because his uncle had taken him in when his parents died, and now he must constantly tolerate his uncle's cruelty. His uncle fires the helper who he had hired only due to Tianqing's absence, and from the helper, Tianqing learns that his uncle has bought a new wife, Ju Dou.
 * 1. Identify the first image (or scene) in the film and describe how it provides insight into the theme of the film.**

2. **What is the inciting incident**? The inciting incident occurs when Tianqing and Ju Dou interact for the first time. They see each other, and an instant connection is formed. They have now been pushed together into a new world that doesn't only consist of themselves and Jinshan, the uncle. The both become interested in each other, but are cautious and don't dare to act upon their first feelings.

3. **What are the major plot points of the first act?** a) Tianqing hears Ju Dou screaming and finally understands how monstrous his uncle is, especially to his wives. b) Tianqing finds a peephole in the wall and discovers that he can spy on Ju Dou bathing. He is incredibly attracted to Judou's beauty and can't help himself. c) On his way back from buying preparations for the Moon festival, he runs into Ju Dou. He notices that she has many new bruises and cuts, and asks her how they occurred. She lies and says that she got them from falling down, when in actuality, they both know that it was Jinshan who is to blame. d) Ju Dou discovers Tianqing's peephole. Later that day, while she is bathing, she boldly exposes her bruised body to Tianqing, who is horrified at his uncle's actions.

The balance is upset when Ju Dou desperately goes to find Tianqing, and pleads with him to help her. Ju Dou has finally openly reached out to Tianqing, and she becomes hysterical when Tianqing is reluctant to help her. She explains that she believes that she will eventually be beaten to death (like the other two wives) because of her failure to produce a child, or more specifically, a son. She tells Tianqing that Jinshan is impotent, but continuously blames the wives for their failures to deliver children. He sees how traumatized she is and decides that he must help her or set her free somehow.
 * 4. At what point is the balance upset?**

Act 2 is set up when Jinshan's donkey falls sick, causing him to leave on a trip to seek help for his cherished donkey. He seems to care for the donkey more than he cares for Tianqing or Ju Dou.
 * 5. What is the set up for Act 2?**

The threshold guardian is the opportunity that presents itself when Jinshan's uncle leaves to take care of the sick donkey. Tianqing and Judou are left alone by themselves on the large, isolated property. Judou attempts to seduce Tianqing and finally succeeds after numerous attempts. This is the beginning of their secret love affair.
 * 6. What threshold guardians appear in the first part of act 2?**

Judou becomes pregnant with Tianqing's baby, but Jinshan believes that the baby is he (as he is has no clue about their clandestine affair). After the baby is finally born, Jinshan openly displays his happiness because he's still clueless about the affair. When the elders are choosing a name for Jinshan, they choose Tianbai, a name similar to Tianqing's. Tianqing is extremely happy because of this small connection between them, and believes that this is a confirmation of their father-son relationship.
 * 7. What other conflicts raise the stakes?**

Halfway through the film, Jinshan suffers an accident while out on a trip. Tianqing goes to look for Jinshan, and discovers that Jinshan was unable to return home because of an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Jinshan can no longer walk and has limited movement, which allows Tianqing and Ju Dou to become more brave with their displays of affection. They openly flaunt their relationship to Jinshan and tell him that the baby, Tianbai, is actually Tianqing's.
 * 8. What is the reversal of fortune that occurs about halfway through the film?**

a) Jinshan is so mad that he tries to kill the baby. Ju Dou and Tianqing hear the baby crying and rush to save the child. With Ju Dou egging him on, Tianqing almost kills Jinshan, but stops at the last minute. This causes Ju Dou to ask him why he didn't kill Jinshan, but he is unable to answer. b) Jinshan tries to set himself and the rest of the house on fire, but Ju Dou and Tianqing stop his attempt again. c) Whenever Tianqing and Ju Dou go out with Jinshan, they pretend as though they are still the perfect family. Tianqing is praised for being filial to Jin Shan while Ju Dou humbly distances herself from the two men. On the outside, it seems as though their family relations are perfect. Jinshan is unable to say anything for fear of "losing face," and bitterly contains his emotions. d) Tianbai and Jinshan develop a relationship, and Tianbai believes that Jinshan is his father, Ju Dou is his mother, and Tianqing is his brother. Jinshan turns Tianbai away from his mother and Tianqing. e) Problems begin occurring despite Tianqing and Judou's expectations for a perfect life (now that Jinshan is crippled and unable to stop them). Judou fears that she is pregnant again and rushes to buy suspicious contraceptives. If she became pregnant again, the entire village would gossip (Jinshan is crippled so he can not father another child). Tianbai has a 3rd birthday party, and Jinshan very publicly announces that he is the father, and asks Tianqing to make a toast as Tianbai's brother. At this point, Tianbai seems to actually believe that Jinshan is his father, and Tianqing cannot help but break down in front of everyone as he calls him "brother." f) The contraceptives almost kill Ju Dou and leaves her infertile. Meanwhile, Tianbai acts out more and more against Tianqing and Judou.
 * 9. What conflicts / threshold guardians define the second half of act 2?**

Tianbai accidentally causes Jinshan's wheeled cart to fall into a huge dyeing vat full of red dye. He is too young to understand what is happening and laughs as Jinshan flails desperately in the water. Ju Dou comes a moment too late and enters to see a drowned Jinshan and a confused Tianbai. When Tianqing returns, he is horrified and at first believes that Ju Dou had killed Jinshan. Tianqing and Ju Dou begin to argue, and their argument ends with Tianqing slapping Ju Dou. Ju Dou compares Tianqing to his uncle, and this shows their relationship weakening.
 * 10. What event starts act 3 and propels the protagonist to face their greatest challenge?**

The rising action of act 3 is the elder counsel's meeting to discuss what happens to Jinshan's possessions, Tianqing, Judou, and Tianbai. Tianbai is named as the sole heir, and Tianqing receives nothing despite all his loyalty to Jinshan for the past few decades. The worst part of the counsel's decision is that Tianqing can no longer live at the property with Judou and Tianbai, because it is improper and they don't want anything to affect the family's reputation.
 * 11. What is the rising action of act 3?**

The climax of the film occurs at Jinshan's funeral. As Tianqing and Ju Dou wail for Jinshan not to go, they are screaming out their problems and stress. The emotional intensity of the film at the moment is tangible. Although it seems that the reason for their hysterical crying is Jinshan's death, they are actually crying over what his death means for their relationship. Despite Jinshan no longer being an interference in their relationship, they still are unable to be together.
 * 12. How does the climax of the film define the choice that the character must make between what they want and what they need?**

The falling action of act 3 is that Ju Dou and Tianqing officially live apart now. It seems as though they have found a way to survive living apart, as Tianqing comes to visit Judou and Tianbai often. Although this is what they wanted, they have settled for this new arrangement. They are able to be together secretly, but they are unable to have the happiness they wanted and expected they would have after Jinshan was out of the picture. Tianbai hates Tianqing and refuses to acknowledge him, and Tianqing can not be the father figure that he wishes to be. Tianbai's hateful and sullen demeanor seems to be more like Jinshan's. Tianqing and Judou know that they can no longer fool themselves with their hopes of what their lives would be like together, and accept that this is the way their lives must be from now on.
 * 13. What is the falling action of act 3, and how has the world changed and found a new balance?**

While Ju Dou and Tianqing are having what they believe to be their final tryst together, Tianbai is outside in the village. He overhears gossip about his mother having sex with someone, and becomes so angry that he nearly kills the person speaking. He then goes home and searches the entire property for Ju Dou and Tianqing. When he finally finds them, they have passed out from lack of oxygen (they were down in the basement), and he drags his mother out. At first, he leaves Tianqing down in the basement to die, but after Ju Dou pleads with him, he drags him up. However, Tianbai kills his own father by throwing him into the dyeing vat (the same one Jinshan died in) and beating him with a stick so that he'd drown. After this, Ju Dou feels that she has no reason to live. She burns down the property, along with its memories, and finally sets herself free.
 * 14. What is the denouement?**