Editing Gong Li (section)

===1990–1999: Fifth generation filmmakers and international spotlight===
[[File:Gong Li Andie MacDowell 1998 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Gong at the [[1998 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
Over the several years following her 1987 acting debut in ''Red Sorghum'', Gong received international acclaim for her roles in several more Zhang Yimou films.<ref name=NYT2>Dargis, Manohla (5 December 2004), "Glamour's New Orientation". ''New York Times''. '''154''' (53054):Arts & Leisure 1</ref><ref name=blossom>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/11/movies/film-a-chinese-actress-blossoms-on-the-screen.html|title=FILM; A Chinese Actress Blossoms on the Screen|work=The New York Times|date=11 April 1993|last1=Feinstein|first1=Howard}}</ref>

In 1990, Gong Continued to cooperate with [[Zhang Yimou]] and starred in his family ethics movie ''[[Ju Dou]]'', which won the Luis Buñuel Special Award at the [[1990 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref name="awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/1990/allAward.html |title=Awards 1990: All Awards |work=festival-cannes.fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011001632/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/1990/allAward.html |archive-date=11 October 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the [[63rd Academy Awards]], becoming the first Chinese film to be nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]].<ref name="Oscars1991">{{cite web | title =The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners | date = 4 October 2014 | publisher = [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] | url =http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1991 | access-date =12 September 2015}}</ref> Gong also won the Best Actress award at the Varna International Film Festival.

In 1991, Gong starred in Zhang Yimou's film ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]'', which won the [[Silver Lion|Silver Lion award]] at the [[48th Venice International Film Festival|48th Venice Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.yesasia.com/us/yumcha/venice-international-film-festival/0-0-0-aeid.1014_aey.1991_sb.155-en/film-awards.html| title=1991 Venice Film Festival| publisher=[[YesAsia]]| archive-date=16 March 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316145302/http://www.yesasia.com/us/yumcha/venice-international-film-festival/0-0-0-aeid.1014_aey.1991_sb.155-en/film-awards.html}}</ref> and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the [[64th Academy Awards]]. Gong, playing a rebellious mistress in the film, won the [[Hundred Flowers Awards]] for Best Actress and was nominated for the [[David di Donatello Awards]] and the [[National Society of Film Critics|NSFC]] for Best Actress.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://ent.news.cn/2008-09/09/content_9867438.htm| title=历届大众电影百花奖获奖名单 (Best Actress Winners)| publisher=[[Xinhua News Agency]]| language=zh| date=9 September 2008| access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> Her performance in the ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]'' (1991) put her in the international spotlight again.<ref name=asiaweek1/>

In 1992, Gong starred in the rural drama ''[[The Story of Qiu Ju]]'', which won the [[Golden Lion|Golden Lion award]] at the 49th Venice International Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/the-story-of-qiu-ju|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106004838/https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/the-story-of-qiu-ju|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2018|title=The Story of Qiu Ju|website=Cineplex|access-date=2017-06-26}}</ref> Gong's portrayal of rural woman Qiu Ju not only won the [[Golden Rooster Awards]] and the [[Japanese Movie Critics Awards]] for Best Actress, but also helped her named Best Actress at the [[49th Venice Film Festival]].

In 1993, she received a [[New York Film Critics Circle]] award for her role in ''[[Farewell My Concubine (film)|Farewell My Concubine]]'' (1993).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-16-ca-2547-story.html|title=N.Y. Writers Pick 'List' but Bypass Spielberg : Movies: Film Critics Circle echoes its L.A. counterpart by naming 'Schindler's List' the best work of 1993 and 'The Piano's' Jane Campion best director.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=16 December 1993 }}</ref> Directed by [[Chen Kaige]], the film was her first major role with a director other than Zhang Yimou.<ref name=blossom /> In the same year, she was awarded with the Berlinale Camera at the [[43rd Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1993/03_preistr_ger_1993/03_Preistraeger_1993.html |title=Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners |access-date=29 May 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> ''[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]'' ranked her performance in ''Farewell My Concubine'' as the 89th greatest performance of all time. She also worked with renowned director [[Stephen Chow]] in comedy films ''[[God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai]]'' (1991) and ''[[Flirting Scholar]]'' (1993).<ref name=chow /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/gong-li-wants-better-chow-heung-082400825.html|title=Gong Li wants to be a better Chow Heung|work=Yahoo News|date=11 November 2013 }}</ref>

Immune to political repercussions because of her fame, Gong Li began criticizing the censorship policy in China. Her films ''Farewell My Concubine'' and ''The Story of Qiu Ju'' were initially banned in China for being thinly-veiled critiques of the Chinese government.<ref name=asiaweek2>No byline (25 February 2000), "First lady of film". ''Asiaweek''. '''26''' (7):34</ref> Regarding the sexual content in ''[[Ju Dou]]'', Chinese censorship deemed the film "a bad influence on the physical and spiritual health of young people."<ref name=NYT2/>

In 1994, Gong played Jia Zhen, the wife of Xu Fugui, in the drama [[To Live (1994 film)|''To Live'']], which won the [[Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)|Grand Prix]] at the [[1994 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cannes-fest.com/pr1994.htm |title=1994 - Le Jury, Les Prix |work=cannes-fest.com |language=fr |access-date=7 June 2017}}</ref> She was also nominated for the [[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film|Chlotrudis Awards]] for Best Actress.

In 1995, Gong starred in ''[[Shanghai Triad]]'', during her breakup with [[Zhang Yimou]], in which she played a seductive stage queen. The film won the Technical Grand Prize of [[Cannes Film Festival]], the [[National Board of Review]] for Best Foreign Language film, and was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3372/year/1995.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Shanghai Triad |access-date=2009-09-05|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref>

These roles established her reputation, according to ''[[Asiaweek]]'', as {{blockquote|"one of the world's most glamorous movie stars and an elegant throwback to Hollywood's golden era".<ref name=asiaweek1/>}}

In 1996, Gong and [[Chen Kaige]] collaborated again in the romantic film ''[[Temptress Moon]]'', which was in competition for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1996 Cannes Film Festival]]. Gong has been nominated for her second best Actress at the [[Hong Kong Film Awards]] for her role as rebellious teenage girl Ru Yi. She also appeared on the cover of [[Time magazine|''Time'']].{{cn|date=February 2025}}

In 1997, Gong worked with [[Jeremy Irons]] on the romantic drama ''[[Chinese Box]]'', which won the Best Original Music award at the [[Venice Film Festival]]. In the same year, Gong was invited to be a jury at the [[1997 Cannes Film Festival]], becoming the first Chinese to be a jury at the festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americancinemapapers.com/files/VENICE_1997.htm|title=VENICE FILM FESTIVAL – 1997|access-date=6 October 2013}}</ref>

In June 1998, Gong Li became a recipient of France's [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]].

In 1999, Gong and [[Chen Kaige]] collaborated for the third film ''[[The Emperor and the Assassin]]'', which won the Technical Grand Prize at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="cinemafr">{{cite web|url=http://www.cinema-francais.fr/cannes/cannes_1999.htm |title=52ème Festival International du Film – Cannes |work=cinema-francais.fr |language=fr |access-date=13 June 2017}}</ref>

In many of her early movies, Gong represents a tragic victim and an abused soul (physically or emotionally), trying to release herself from an impossible maze of corruption, violence and suppression. In ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]'' and ''[[Shanghai Triad]]'', an additional tragic element is added to her being as she unintentionally becomes the executioner of new innocent victims, making her realize that she has assisted the dark cynical system.<ref>[http://thinkingchinese.com/index.php?page_id=69 Gong Li in ‘Raise the Red Lantern’ and ‘Shanghai Triad’ – The Tragedy of a Victim who Reinforces the system] – ''ThinkingChinese.com''</ref>