The Savage Land is a film based on Cao Yu’s play written in 1937. Superficially a story of a peasant’s revenge, the play interweaves darkness, nightmare, fear and mystery in the style of expressionist theatre. The protagonist’s feelings of guilt and eventual suicide relate to the rivalry for exclusive affection between a possessive old mother and a beautiful but jealous wife, as well as the primitive passions, sexual deprivation and defiant courage of life in this remote environment. The film was shot in 1981 but was banned from the public audience until 1988. As soon as it was released, it won China’s film award ”˜Hundred Flowers Award’ and when it was taken to the Venice Film Festival, it was ranked as the ”˜Best Recommended Film’. The one-hour-forty-five-minute film was directed by Ling Zi, a female stage/film director, stared by Yang Zaibao (Qiu Hu) and Liu Xiaoqing (Jinzi). Liu won the 1988 Best Actress Prize for acting the role.