One of the screen's all time great beauties turns 50 today and she's still completely ravishing. Gong Li holds the fascinating distinction of being the only Chinese cinema star that Oscar has ever been consistently interested in. Despite Oscar's historic (and frankly bizarre) resistance to Asian cinema, even in the foreign film categories, an incredible six films from her resume have been nominated for Oscars.
Alas she has not been nominated herself, though she was "in the conversation" as it were on two separate occassions. A Gong Li beauty break and those six of her most famous films after the jump...
at the Met Gala earlier this year
At the premiere of her most recent film Coming Home (2014)
If you've only ever seen Gong Li in her two back-to-back high profile Hollywood gigs in the mid-Aughts (i.e. Memoirs of a Geisha and Miami Vice) you're in for such a treat should you venture further back into the filmography. She's one of the great film stars and here are six of her most important films, all of which received at least one Oscar nomination.
JU-DOU (1990)
Her fifth film made the director Zhang Yimou and his muse (Gong Li) international sensations. It's probably hard for younger readers to imagine but there was a time when international films became significant arthouse hits fairly regularly crossing the million dollar mark. Ju Dou was an arthouse hit the size of something like Room today. It was a far more hospitable time (at least in the US film culture) for foreign films. This exquisitely beautiful drama is set in one of the most beautiful and unusual settings you'll ever seen in a film: a fabric dye factory.
Awards History: Several international prizes and a Best Foreign Film nomination at the Oscars. It lost to Switzerland's immigrant drama Journey of Hope which was released after the Oscar win and did not become a hit.
as "Songlian" in Raise the Red Lantern
RAISE THE RED LANTERN (1991)
Gong Li plays the new and fourth bride to a wealthy lord in 1920's China. The title refers to the practice of a red lantern being raised to signify the wife the lord will be visiting that night. It's arguably the greatest film that Gong Li and Zhang Yimou ever made together or separately. Raise the Red Lantern, which made for one of our favorite Hit Me With Your Best Shot episodes, is a complete formal marvel, and fascinating from gender, political and psychological perspectives. It was an even bigger hit at US arthouses than Ju Dou.
Awards History: a BAFTA win for foreign film, a Silver Lion in Venice, several US critics prizes, international prizes, and a Best Foreign Film nomination at the Oscars. It lost to the Italian romp Mediterraneo
as "Juxian" in Farewell My Concubine
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (1993)
This three hour politically charged epic set within the Peking Opera concerns an unrequited love triangle. The late great Leslie Cheung (famous for Wong Kar Wai pictures, he would sadly commit suicide 10 years after this international success) played the opera star Dieyi, famous for playing the female roles, who is in love with his best friend Xiaolou, also an opera star, who is in turn in love with a concubine (Gong Li). It was Gong Li's biggest subtitled hit grossing the equivalent of something like the documentary hit Amy in today's dollars.
Awards History: Farewell My Concubine is the only Chinese film to ever win the Palme D'Or at Cannes. It went on to win the BAFTA, NBR, and Globe for Best Foreign Film, as well as several critics and international prizes. It was nominated for two Oscars: Cinematography (losing to Schindler's List) and Foreign Film (losing to Spain's Belle Epoque). Gong Li even entered the Oscar conversation after winning the NYFCC prize for Best Supporting Actress, beating out Rosie Perez in Fearless who was the critics darling of that particular category in 1993. Oscar viability is extremely rare for subtitled performances in supporting categories and even more rare, sadly, for Asian actors in any category whatsoever.
as "Xiao Jingbao" in Shanghai Triad
SHANGHAI TRIAD (1995)
After five consecutive US hits (including 1993's The Story of Qi Ju and 1994's To Live), Gong Li was a big name for film critics, and sophisticated media and moviegoers. That explains the initial heat this gangster drama about a boy hired to be the servant to a crimelord's mistress (Gong Li) had despite less ecstatic reviews than her previous successes. It was also a hit though not quite as much of a crossover success as most of the previous titles.
Awards History: The NBR prize for Foreign Film, a Globe nomination for Foreign Film, and Best Cinematography wins at both NYFCC and LAFCA. It was nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars; it helps to film a face as beautiful as Gong Li's! (It lost to Braveheart)
as Hatsumomo in Memoirs of a Geisha
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (2005)
Despite the controversy of casting three Chinese cinema stars (Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, and Gong Li) in this Japanese story, and despite sometimes snarky reviews and language difficulties for some of the cast, the adaptation of the worldwide bestseller was a solid mainstream hit grossing a respectable $57 million
Awards History: BAFTA, Globe, SAG, and Guild nominations in various categories. The film was nominated for 6 Oscars including Original Score, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and winning three of the four eye candy categories Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design). Gong Li did enter the Oscar conversation and won the NBR for Best Supporting Actress for the film's most fiery performance but it was Zhang Ziyi who came closest to an Oscar nomination in that weirdly weak awards year for Best Actress.
as " Empress Phoenix" in Curse of the Golden Flower
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER (2006)
This visually bold wuxia epic with Gong Li as an incestuous Empress was her final real hit in the States earning about $8 million in today's box office dollars. She semi-retired from acting after it and has only appeared in 4 films in the decade since.
Awards History: Gong Li won Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards and also received an Asian Film Award nomination. Guild nominations for Oscar nominated for Costume Design (losing to Marie Antoinette)