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Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Red Sorghum, Ju Dou) is the most exciting thing to
happen to film melodrama since German emigre Douglas Sirk came to Hollywood and
reinvigorated the form in the 1950s. Raise the Red Lantern is like some exotic hothouse
specimen that's beautiful to the eye yet caustic to the touch. What Zhang undertakes here
is nothing less than a biting examination of sexual politics, mandarin-style. But it's more
than that. It's an indictment of the ways in which we participate in our own subjugation
no matter what our nationality, era or fiscal circumstance. Set in 1920s China, the movie
opens with the decision of 19-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) to leave college after the death
of her father and accept the marriage offer of a wealthy older man named Chen because
she can no longer endure the company of her stepmother. She will become Chen's Fourth
Wife, a concubine in a feudal marriage system. Striking her blow for independence from
her stepmother, Songlian seals her fate, enters Chen's family compound and never again
emerges. Sucked into this serpentine household arrangement in which each wife has her
own residence and courtyard (though they are all connected via a structural network of
walls, parapets and roofing), Songlian at first plays to win. And what is won? -- the
sexual attentions of the master (who is virtually unseen by the camera). Power within the
household is apportioned on the basis of where the master sleeps at night. The rewards
for the chosen wife include a sensuous foot massage delivered by a toothless old crone
and the power to select the next day's menu for the entire household. An ancient family
tradition explains the red lanterns of the title: wherever the master decides to spend the
night is ritualistically lit up with opulent red lanterns. Conversely, his absence snuffs out
the light and the accompanying attention. At first Songlian thinks she can outwit the
machinations of the aging First Wife, the seemingly solicitous Second Wife and the
cagey former opera star Third Wife. A faked pregnancy brings Songlian a hold on power
for a brief period but its disclosure by her jealous maidservant leads to her ultimate
downfall. Her lanterns are draped irrevocably in black and eventully, she goes mad. The
movie ends with the arrival of the Fifth Mistress. This movie is more visually restrained
and sedate than Zhang's previous Ju Dou, whose saturated stylizations left little to
nuance. Here, the formal style matches the regimented feudal system with its controlled
patterns and behaviors, though its overall effect is no less calculated than in Ju Dou.
Financed by a Taiwanese distributor through a Hong Kong subsidiary, the Oscar-
nominated Raise the Red Lantern is off-limits for screening in its homeland of China.
Implicit in this pre-revolutionary period tale about people's ideological complicity in their
own oppression is a couched allegory about obsolete old men and the harmful traditions
governing China.
"Raise the Red Lantern" may bring to mind "Ju Dou," as both are by the same filmmaker
(Zhang Yimou), feature the same star (Gong Li) and have themes dealing with traditional
Chinese sexism.
But "Raise the Red Lantern" is unique, essentially in its detailed look at the hazards of
polygamy and the tragedies that ensue when squabbling between wives accelerates to
unexpected proportions.
The story has 19-year-old Songlian leaving college after six months to become the fourth
wife of an older, wealthy man. She does so reluctantly, after being coerced by her
stepmother, following the death of her father.
When she arrives at the Chen family palace, she gets a house and courtyard of her own
and soon learns that the husband is a stickler for tradition. He has red lanterns lighted
around the house of the wife with whom he is spending the night, and that wife is the
recipient of all kinds of special privileges.
That explains the competition among the first three wives - an older woman who is the
first wife, a consistently cheerful woman who is the second and a very pretty, petulant
former opera singer who is the third.
The first and third wives resent Songlian, though the second befriends her. And a jealous
servant is thrown into the mix; she had hoped to become the fourth wife herself. But after
a time, Songlian learns that things are not always as they seem, and the story takes on
larger, tragic proportions as it progresses.
The performances, cinematography and attention to detail here are magnificent. The film
is a bit slow in places (at a running time of more than two hours it could be shorter), but
it's so involving that the audience probably won't mind.
"Raise the Red Lantern" is rated PG for implied violence and sex, and a couple of mild
profanities.
Raise the Red Lantern is one of the more sublimely beautiful and openly disturbing films
of the 1990s. It is also the best work to date turned in by the actress/director combination
of Gong Li and Zhang Yimou -- and this includes other impressive films like Ju Dou and
To Live. Raise the Red Lantern is one of those all-too-rare motion pictures capable of
enthralling an audience while they're watching it, then haunting them for hours (or days)
thereafter. With its simple story and complex themes and emotions, Raise the Red
Lantern hints at the kind of film a great director like Ingmar Bergman might have made
had he attempted a story set in mainland China.
The difference between Songlian (Gong Li), the fourth wife of a rich landowner, and the
other three spouses, is that she is educated, and has been married (by her mother) against
her will. Now, her whole world is reduced to one small compound, and the only people
she sees are her husband, his family, and their servants. She is given a maid (Kong Lin)
that she doesn't get along with, and finds her new home to be a cheerless place, despite all
the bright colors that adorn the inside walls.
It's the master's tradition to light lanterns outside the house of the wife he intends to join
for the night. Since Songlian is new to the compound, it is expected that he will spend
much of his time with her. However, on their first night together, the master is called
away to soothe his pampered third wife (He Caifei), who complains of an ailment. From
then on, Songlian realizes that she'll have to resort to deceit and manipulation to retain
her husband's interest. And, while she doesn't necessarily appreciate his attentions, she
realizes that her status in the household is directly proportional to how highly she is
favored.
Within days of her arrival, Songlian's relationships with her "sisters" are established. The
first wife (Jin Shuyuan), an aging woman with a grown son, does her best to ignore
Songlian's presence. She is tolerant -- no more, no less. The third concubine, a beautiful
ex-opera singer, is fiercely jealous of Songlian, worried that the master will find his new,
educated bride more enticing. However, the second concubine (Cao Cuifen) offers
friendship and kindness to the newest member of the family -- or so it initially seems.
The Chinese government didn't approve of Raise the Red Lantern, and, if you look just
below the simple-yet-effective surface story, it's easy to understand why. As structured,
this film can be seen as a parable for the corruption of modern society in China. Songlian
is the individual, the master is the government, and the customs of the house are the laws
of the country. It's an archaic system that rewards those who play within the rules and
destroys those who violate them. And, when an atrocity occurs (as it did in Tiannamen
Square), not only is culpability denied, but the entire incident is claimed not to have
happened.
Looking beyond the political meaning, Raise the Red Lantern offers a view of life within
a closed, dictatorial social community. Much of the film deals with the ever-shifting
balance of power between the various concubines. Beauty and sexual appeal are
secondary attributes in a battle of wits that demands guile and duplicity. Bearing a male
child is more critical to each woman's standing than possessing a pleasing countenance.
While the master's favor determines which of his wives commands the most power,
Zhang illustrates how easily he can be manipulated.
The acting is effective enough to illuminate the multi-faceted personalities of the
concubines. Gong Li shines as Songlian, who struggles to be as cold and calculating as
her "sisters" in playing the "game" until a tragedy destroys her composure (and possibly
her sanity). Gong's performance makes it easy to sympathize with Songlian; she is our
guide through the strange, ritual-saturated world of Raise the Red Lantern.
The film is beautifully photographed using a process that captures the vividness of the
many colors employed by the director. Raise the Red Lantern is visually stunning, and
the appeal to the eye only heightens the movie's emotional power. The fullness of reds,
oranges, and yellows is unlike anything that has been seen in an American film for years.
Zhang clearly understands at least one of the fundamental rules of film making: that a
great-looking picture will enhance a superior story.
Songlian's ultimate fate is wrenching, and the closing scene represents a sad epilogue to a
unique motion picture experience. I don't think I've ever seen a movie quite like Raise the
Red Lantern, and, since I consider it to be a defining example of Chinese movie-making
and one of the best films of the '90s, I doubt that I ever will again.
As a filmmaker, Chinese director Zhang Yimou is a peculiar combination of muckraker
and aesthete. In his previous film, "Ju Dou," and his latest, "Raise the Red Lantern," he
has staked out the oppression of women in pre-revolutionary times as his special
province. His mission in these films, and to some extent in "Red Sorghum" too, has been
to rip back the curtain of silence and reveal China's ugly cultural secret: In the past,
women were bought and sold, used for slave labor, abused and even murdered.
As a member of the so-called "Fifth Generation" of filmmakers to graduate from the
Beijing Film Academy, Yimou's thematic agenda is social. But as a former
cinematographer, his artistic preoccupations are more formal, more painterly; he's
obsessed with the fragile play of symmetries, with composition, color and design.
In this last regard, he is virtually without equal. His movies are divine items, richly hued,
sumptuously textured, musically paced objects of desire. The silken, erotic flow to his
imagery is like a sweet kiss to the eyes. But, as "Raise the Red Lantern" demonstrates,
the two sides of Yimou's aesthetic nature aren't always in accord. Nor is he always able to
strike a balance between these interests and the structural demands of his story. With the
exception of "Ju Dou," which was driven by a passionate sexual engine, his dramatic
muscles seem spindly and underdeveloped. In "Raise the Red Lantern," the director
displays his usual gift for striking visual metaphors, but here they seem to exist in stasis.
His painter's eye has taken over.
His material here isn't without incident; it's a satisfying sense of tension that's missing.
Set in Northern China during the 1920s, "Red Lantern" describes the life of Songlian
(Gong Li), who, despite her university training, at 19 becomes the fourth wife of the
master of the wealthy Chen family. Yimou's goal in telling her story is to expose the
patterns of exploitation and intrigue within the Chen household, where the four wives are
forced to compete for their husband's favor. The hierarchy of power within the compound
is sexually determined. When the master sleeps with one of the wives, the red lanterns are
lit at her house, and for as long as she remains his partner, the rule of the roost is hers,
right down to what is served for dinner at the family table.
During the first stage of the film, Songlian -- being the newcomer -- is the master's
favorite. But conflicts arise when the third wife, a glamorous former opera star named
Meishan (He Caifei), launches an offensive to win back her dominant place in the
pecking order. The second wife, Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifeng), becomes Songlian's confidante,
generously supplying her with tactical strategies against Meishan. Soon, though, Songlian
discovers that Zhuoyun's motives aren't as selfless as they seem, and that she has been
conspiring with Songlian's maid to undermine both her and Meishan.
Yimou lays out these conflicts very cleanly and precisely, but they never expand to take
on the social implications the director had hoped for. Gong Li, who also starred in "Ju
Dou" and "Red Sorghum," is a subtle, commanding actress, and she gives Songlian a
streak of stubborn, regal pride. But, psychologically, the character always remains at a
distance, and, as a result, the movie seems oddly vacant at its center. As gorgeous as it is,
"Raise the Red Lantern" never achieves any momentum or weight. Even when Songlian
discovers a secret tower used to keep the wives in line, the story never amounts to much
more than a rather tepid Chinese rendition of "The Women."
Keywords:
chinese director zhang yimou sorghum most exciting thing happen film melodrama since
german emigre douglas sirk came hollywood reinvigorated form raise lantern like some
exotic hothouse specimen that beautiful caustic touch what zhang undertakes here
nothing less than biting examination sexual politics mandarin style more than that
indictment ways which participate subjugation matter what nationality fiscal
circumstance china movie opens with decision year songlian gong leave college after
death father accept marriage offer wealthy older named chen because longer endure
company stepmother will become chen fourth wife concubine feudal marriage system
striking blow independence from stepmother songlian seals fate enters chen family
compound never again emerges sucked into this serpentine household arrangement which
each wife residence courtyard though they connected structural network walls parapets
roofing songlian first plays what sexual attentions master virtually unseen camera power
within household apportioned basis where master sleeps night rewards chosen wife
include sensuous foot massage delivered toothless crone power select next menu entire
household ancient family tradition explains lanterns title wherever master decides spend
night ritualistically with opulent lanterns conversely absence snuffs light accompanying
attention first thinks outwit machinations aging first seemingly solicitous second cagey
former opera star third faked pregnancy brings hold power brief period disclosure jealous
maidservant leads ultimate downfall lanterns draped irrevocably black eventully goes
movie ends with arrival fifth mistress this movie more visually restrained sedate than
zhang previous whose saturated stylizations left little nuance here formal style matches
regimented feudal system controlled patterns behaviors though overall effect less
calculated financed taiwanese distributor through hong kong subsidiary oscar nominated
raise lantern limits screening homeland china implicit this revolutionary period tale about
people ideological complicity their oppression couched allegory about obsolete harmful
traditions governing china raise lantern bring mind both same filmmaker yimou feature
same star gong have themes dealing traditional chinese sexism unique essentially detailed
look hazards polygamy tragedies that ensue when squabbling between wives accelerates
unexpected proportions story year leaving college after months become fourth older
wealthy does reluctantly after being coerced stepmother following death father when
arrives family palace gets house courtyard soon learns husband stickler tradition lighted
around house whom spending night recipient kinds special privileges explains
competition among three wives older woman consistently cheerful woman second very
pretty petulant former opera singer third third wives resent though second befriends
jealous servant thrown into hoped become fourth herself time learns things always they
seem story takes larger tragic proportions progresses performances cinematography
attention detail here magnificent film slow places running time more hours could shorter
involving audience probably mind rated implied violence couple mild profanities
sublimely beautiful openly disturbing films also best work date turned actress director
combination gong yimou includes other impressive films like live those rare motion
pictures capable enthralling audience while they watching then haunting them hours days
thereafter simple story complex themes emotions hints kind film great director like
ingmar bergman might have made attempted mainland difference between rich
landowner other three spouses educated been married mother against will whole world
reduced small compound only people sees husband their servants given maid kong doesn
along finds home cheerless place despite bright colors adorn inside walls tradition light
outside house intends join since compound expected will spend much time however their
together called away soothe pampered caifei complains ailment from then realizes have
resort deceit manipulation retain husband interest while doesn necessarily appreciate
attentions realizes status directly proportional highly favored within days arrival
relationships sisters established shuyuan aging woman grown does best ignore presence
tolerant less concubine beautiful opera singer fiercely jealous worried find educated bride
enticing however concubine cuifen offers friendship kindness newest member initially
seems chinese government didn approve look just below simple effective surface easy
understand structured seen parable corruption modern society individual government
customs laws country archaic system rewards those play within rules destroys those
violate them when atrocity occurs tiannamen square only culpability denied entire
incident claimed happened looking beyond political meaning offers view life closed
dictatorial social community much deals ever shifting balance between various
concubines beauty sexual appeal secondary attributes battle wits demands guile duplicity
bearing male child critical each standing possessing pleasing countenance while favor
determines which commands most illustrates easily manipulated acting effective enough
illuminate multi faceted personalities concubines shines struggles cold calculating sisters
playing game until tragedy destroys composure possibly sanity performance makes easy
sympathize guide through strange ritual saturated world beautifully photographed using
process captures vividness many colors employed visually stunning appeal only
heightens emotional fullness reds oranges yellows unlike anything been seen american
years clearly understands least fundamental rules making great looking picture enhance
superior ultimate fate wrenching closing scene represents epilogue unique motion picture
experience think ever seen quite since consider defining example making best films doubt
ever again filmmaker peculiar combination muckraker aesthete previous latest staked
oppression women revolutionary times special province mission these some extent
sorghum been back curtain silence reveal ugly cultural secret past women were bought
sold used slave labor abused even murdered member called fifth generation filmmakers
graduate from beijing academy thematic agenda social former cinematographer artistic
preoccupations formal painterly obsessed fragile play symmetries composition color
design last regard virtually without equal movies divine items richly hued sumptuously
textured musically paced objects desire silken erotic flow imagery sweet kiss eyes
demonstrates sides aesthetic nature aren always accord always able strike balance these
interests structural demands exception driven passionate engine dramatic muscles seem
spindly underdeveloped displays usual gift striking visual metaphors seem exist stasis
painter taken over material without incident satisfying sense tension missing northern
during describes life despite university training becomes wealthy goal telling expose
patterns exploitation intrigue where four forced compete favor hierarchy sexually
determined sleeps long remains partner rule roost hers right down served dinner table
during stage being newcomer favorite conflicts arise glamorous star named meishan
caifei launches offensive back dominant place pecking order zhuoyun cuifeng becomes
confidante generously supplying tactical strategies against meishan soon discovers
zhuoyun motives aren selfless conspiring maid undermine both meishan lays these
conflicts very cleanly precisely never expand take social implications hoped also starred
sorghum subtle commanding actress gives streak stubborn regal pride psychologically
character remains distance result seems oddly vacant center gorgeous never achieves
momentum weight even discovers secret tower used keep line amounts much rather tepid
rendition women
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