"Set in a mining town in the 1880s, Thousand Pieces of Gold tells the real-life story of Lalu (Rosalind Chao, The Laundromat, The Joy Luck Club), a young Chinese woman whose desperately poor parents sell her into slavery. She is trafficked to a nefarious saloonkeeper in Idaho’s gold country. Eventually Charlie, a man of a different ilk, played by Chris Cooper (Adaptation, American Beauty), wins her in a poker game and slowly gains her trust. Way ahead of its time, the film resonates even more powerfully in the #MeToo era. But director Nancy Kelly became a victim of prejudice against women directors within the American film industry and was never offered another movie to direct in spite of extraordinary reviews, some of which compared her talent to that of John Ford. Based on the classic novel by Ruthanne Lum McCunn, and written for the screen by awardwinning filmmaker Anne Makepeace (Tribal Justice), Thousand Pieces of Gold is a breathtaking feminist Western just waiting to be rediscovered, and is presented here in a new 4K restoration."
S**T
As Great as a John Ford Movie
This DVD is a classic of cinema starring Rosalind Chao and Chris Cooper as a Chinese mail order bride and a Western pioneer who help one another survive the rough intolerances of the American West during the late 19th century. Rarely seen, this film is a keeper, with stellar directing and acting.
T**H
Great unknown movie
The movie itself gets 5 stars, the tape gets 4 stars. It played ok but started having tracking changes near the end. I kept having to adjust the tracking button to get it to play without static. I wish it would come out on DVD and be remastered.This was a great old western-like romance based on a true story. The scenery was excellent and the acting by the leads were excellent. I especially enjoyed Chris Cooper in this movie, as this was only his third starring lead role.A Chinese girl(LaLu-Rosalind Chao) is bought from her poor father and brought over to the US as a husband for a saloon manager(Hong King). He also wishes to use her as an exoctic prostitute to make money, but she refuses and threatens to kill herself. The saloons owner(Charlie-Chris Cooper) steps in and saves her, but she ends up having to work day and night(like a slave) in order to pay her way back to China. During this time Charlie is growing more and more attracted to her and finally wins her from Hong King in a poker game,(this was my favorite scene). Still refusing to be a whore, she lives with Charlie platonically, until the government declares the Chinese move out of the land. After all the hardships and pain of this kind of life, she finally decides that Charlie is her new home and stays behind with him on a secluded river. Excellent heart warming story.
M**H
AN OUTSTANDING MOVIE!
This is such a great movie! Although it is set in the American West during the 1800s, it is not really a Western -- or at least not a traditional one. The film is based on the true story of a Chinese girl sold into slavery and transported to the U.S. to be auctioned off as a prostitute. When purchased, she is taken overland to a small, sliver mining town in Oregon, or perhaps Washington and from there, her remarkable story takes off. She is played by the accomplished actress, Rosalind Chao, and the male lead is the superb, multifaceted actor, Chris Cooper (you saw him in City of Hope, Seabiscuit and The Bourne Identity). The remaining cast is equally strong. The scenery is beautiful, the story of Lalu is compelling, there is romance, tension and drama and even a few satisfying bad guys for those of you who are Western die-hards. I still wonder why this film was a sleeper when it is so outstanding. Regardless, I highly recommend it to you.
R**A
Chinese in America
This move I watched several years ago and have been searching for it and I finally purchased through Amazon. A story of Love, Greed and Racism and Later Happiness. I recommend this movie.
P**E
GREAT MOVIE
GREAT MOVIE IT TOOK ME YEARS TO FIND ONLINE
A**S
Thousand Pieces of Gold
Love this movie, have seen it many times and never get sick of it.The actors are very good and has a great storyline.
L**T
Want the DVD!
Great movie....l own the VHS...wondering why it's not out on DVD...I'd buy it in an instant!
W**R
Good western taht tells a side of history that's often overlooked
The importation of Asian women into America's West to be little more than slaves is a tragic part of American history that is seldom talked about, and this movie does a service to historical truth by focusing on it. The lead character Lalu saved herself by declaring she'll kill herself before becoming a whore, and fights her way through challenges to get a better, more satisfying and serene life for herself. Good acting from Rosalind Chao as Lalu and from Chris Cooper as one of the more sympathetic settlers to Lalus plight, a bar owner named Charlie. The ending seemed a little bit anticlimactic, a little bit lacking in dram, so I couldn't give this movie five stars. It's worth watching, all the same.
S**N
Welcome Return of Public Television Classic Film
Chris Cooper shows all the promise which was later realized in Matewan and Lone Star (both John Sayles' films). Rosalind Chao is radiant as Lalu (Polly) and the entire cast, mostly unknown, give convincing portrayals of early Chinese-Americans struggling to be accepted as equal citizens of the country that they either adopted, were sold into as slaves or were born into. An excellent and honest film.
P**R
Very boring ...
Trying to be a strong movie but it missed!! Too Bad!! Could of been alot stronger!!
C**C
U got to watch it it’s a true story
A gift for my Nan she loves this type of film thank you
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