Chinese Film COMING HOME starring Gong Li

COMING HOME a film by Chinese dir Zhang Yimou & starring Gong Li is a major accomplishment in movie making.  It is an unrelenting film that imbues the numbing and tortuous epoch of China's Cultural Revolution.  The brutal Mao regime under the ironic guise of a Cultural Revolution in essence suppressed all forms of expression that veered from its communist ideology.  The brainwashing or threat of reprisal quelled familial bonds and any form of articulation other than those imposed by the communist party for a decade: 1966-76.  Gong Li is the central figure in this tormented, romance drama as a wife/mother whose husband, a prof. & musician has been imprisoned.  Li is highly regarded as one of Chinese most acclaimed actresses. She is acknowledge for bringing Chinese film into the forefront of European & Amer. cinema.  Li's performance is nothing less than miraculous.  Her portrayal of a woman literally stuck in time is heart wrenching.  It's a poignant reminder of the absence of free thought & expression that marred an era, turned generations against one another, and destroyed families.  All loyalties were to the party.  Li's daughter is a budding ballerina (who aspires to be cast in ballets glorifying the Chinese leader.)  She wants the lead so intensely she reports her mother for planning on fleeing with her escaped father (whom she hasn't known.)  The catastrophic fallout are repeatedly played out with raw emotional impact.  Li's performance and that of her co-star are unforgettable.  COMING HOME is not a welcoming or enjoyable film.  It's an iconic film of incredible dignity and historic signifigance.