A dark sensual and visually sumptuous drama, Ju Dou centers on the title character, Ju Dou (Gong Li), the wife of a wealthy silk dryer in 1920's China. Forced into marriage, Ju Dou is repeatedly mistreated and tortured by her husband for failing to bear him an heir, even though he is infertile. Her suffering attracts the sympathy of her husband's younger, kinder nephew and the two begin a secret affair that could lead to tragic consequences.