A Girl From Hunan (1986)

Like many Chinese films, this story focuses on how oppressive ancient Chinese society was for peasants, especially peasant women. The story begins with this very young girl basically forced into a marriage by her father. In those days, a dowry was paid to the girl's family, so this was most likely the motivation to marry her off in a sham marriage to a toddler groom. The toddler's family is poor as well, but they benefit by getting a slave girl to take care of the toddler and household. This girl quickly notices her status and role in the family and in the bigger paternalistic society. In small ways she grasps at freedom by rebelling against traditions. The bondage of her life is even more poignant when she sees young female Communist students clearly breaking ancient "rules" of dress and behavior. Eventually the young girl's body develops womanly curves and she is raped by a family member. Adultery is punishable by death in this clan, and the woman are always guilty. In the worst possible circumstances you see the main character's evolution from girl to woman and from passive to grasping at tiny straws of autonomy. The Girl from Hunan becomes a metaphor for how the poorer Chinese people stuggled against their oppressive laws and leaders before the Communism treated the poorest people more fairly. I see the movie as a metaphor of how women will always struggle with double standards, often like this girl, without any support systems. I highly recommend this movie to women or men who sympathize with women's struggles throughout history. I think an important point of this movie is that change happens in small increments.. after a series of small rebellions. If Chinese history interests you, this is a great period piece.