Films
/
Red Sorghum (1988)
Red Sorghum (1988) poster

Red Sorghum (1988)

红高粱

Drama, Romance, History • 1h 31m

Director: Zhang Yimou

Cast: Gong Li, Jiang Wen, Teng Rujun, Liu Ji, Qian Ming, Ji Chunhua, Zhai Chunhua, Jia Zhaoji, Zhang Yuxiang, Zhou Guiyun, Yang Qianbin, Xu Guoqing, Yao Er-ga, Li Yusheng, Dong Kun, Hu Xiaoguang, Zhang Yimou, Nie Laijing

Best English-friendly release

Most likely WCL China Blu-ray

Updated 8 months ago

Best video release

WCL China Blu-ray probably best transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=19502187&postcount=Crocodile124 over Imprint Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li


About the film

An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.

TSPDT
2026: #897
2025: #881
2024: #872
2023: #846
2022: #846

More from Zhang Yimou

See more →

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray has a superior MPEG-4 AVC encode over the US Sony Blu-ray's MPEG-2 or France/Australia Universal Blu-ray's VC-1. Open matte version also included

Best Audio:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray has a Dolby Atmos remix and the original audio in DTS 5.1.

Korea Blu-ray for lossless original 5.1 audio mix.

Additional Info:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray is completely uncut and uncensored, having none of Sony US's PG-13 edits or Pathé UK's BBFC horse trip cuts.

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray has no DNR or sharpening from past releases

Best Audio:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray for the Dolby Atmos remix on the director's cut and the original 5.1 mix on the theatrical cut

Korea Nova Media Blu-ray for the original 6.1 mix on the director's cut

Additional Info:

Germany Turbine Mediabook Blu-ray has the Hong Kong English subtitles instead of the censored Miramax subtitles.

Miramax Blu-ray has lossy Mandarin audio and does not have the director's cut.

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly:

Korea Nova Media Blu-ray, or Imprint Boxset Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Film Movement Blu-ray release soon

Best Video:

No comparisons, but Korea Nova Media caps
DVDBeaver's Imprint Blu-ray caps

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly:

Well Go US 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Any of the 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Engilsh dub: Well Go 4K Blu-ray
5.1: 2019 Hong Kong 4K Blu-ray (upsampled to 24/96)

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly:

Imprint Blu-ray or new restoration soon

Sources: fareastfilm.com (opens in a new tab)

More from WCL

See more →

Director: Tian Zhuangzhuang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

China WCL Blu-ray

Director: Bu Wan-Cang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

China WCL Blu-ray

Director: Chen Kaige

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

WCL China Blu-ray

Video Notes:

WCL China Blu-ray is the only Blu-ray available as of Aug 2026

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

France Coin Germany mire Cinema 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(not English friendly)

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray is the less manipulated track, but according to cbc: "I find it sounds a bit shrill at times, and the 4K Blu-ray is not bad at all, it does lose some high freq detail but I would probably prefer it for watching"

Director: Yojiro Takita

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray, caps

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

The 4K Blu-ray has slightly neutered dynamics

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray is from a 4K restoration, better detail, compresison is passable, grading is a bit of a mixed bag (might have been a regrade from SDR)

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Edit history

4 edits

Researched and maintained by

vanshadymsimran

· last reviewed 8 months ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.