Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

Synopsis

Zhang Yimou's 1991 masterpiece, adapted from Su Tong's novel 'Wives and Concubines,' stars Gong Li as a young woman forced to become the fourth concubine of a wealthy merchant. The film won the Silver Lion at Venice and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Overview

Raise the Red Lantern (大红灯笼高高挂) is a 1991 Chinese film directed by the renowned Zhang Yimou, adapted from Su Tong's novel Wives and Concubines (妻妾成群). Starring Gong Li, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen, and Jin Shuyuan, the film tells the story of Songlian, a young woman in 1920s China who is forced to become the fourth concubine (the Fourth Mistress) of a wealthy merchant, and her tragic fate within the confines of the Chen family compound.

The film is one of Zhang Yimou's most internationally acclaimed works, winning the Silver Lion at the 1991 Venice International Film Festival, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, and winning the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. It holds a Douban rating of 8.8 out of 10.

Plot

The story is set in northern China during the 1920s. After her father's death, the impoverished college student Songlian (Gong Li) is forced to marry into the wealthy Chen family as the Fourth Mistress of the aging Master Chen.

Within the strictly hierarchical Chen household, each mistress has her own courtyard. Each evening, Master Chen chooses which mistress to spend the night with, and red lanterns are hung and lit in that mistress's courtyard as a symbol of his favor. The rituals of lantern lighting, foot massage, and meal ordering determine each mistress's status and treatment.

Songlian, initially an educated young woman influenced by modern ideas, resists this feudal system. But over time, she is drawn into the cutthroat competition between the wives. The First Mistress Yuru (Jin Shuyuan) is cold and emotionless, the Second Mistress Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifen) is deceptively sweet but scheming, and the Third Mistress Meishan (He Saifei) is flamboyant and proud. The four wives engage in a silent but brutal struggle within the cage of the Chen mansion.

Ultimately, Songlian breaks down amid the infighting. The tragic fate of Meishan, who is executed after being discovered having an affair, exposes the cruel oppression of women under the feudal system. The film ends with Songlian, her mind completely shattered, as the Chen household prepares lanterns and celebrations for the arrival of the Fifth Mistress.

Cast

Artistic Achievement and Awards

The artistic achievements of Raise the Red Lantern are manifested in several areas:

Visual Aesthetics: Zhang Yimou uses his signature color palette to make the red lantern the core visual symbol of the film. The red lantern symbolizes power and favor, while the enclosed courtyard architecture of the Chen compound symbolizes the imprisonment of women by the feudal system. Cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding's camera work is precise and restrained, with extensive symmetrical compositions reinforcing the oppressiveness of the hierarchical order.

Symbolism: The "lantern lighting" ritual is the film's central metaphor. The lighting and extinguishing of red lanterns represents the rise and fall of the women's status, while the detail of "foot massage" hints at the tragedy of women being reduced to objects of amusement.

Major awards:
- 1991 Venice International Film Festival — Silver Lion
- 1992 Academy Awards — Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film
- 1992 BAFTA Award — Best Film Not in the English Language
- 1992 David di Donatello Award — Best Foreign Film

Cultural Impact

Raise the Red Lantern is, after Red Sorghum, another Chinese film that achieved enormous international success. The film's profound exposure of women's fate in feudal society made it an important representative work of Chinese feminist cinema.

Notably, the film underwent censorship for its mainland Chinese release, with certain sensitive scenes (such as Meishan's execution) being cut. Even so, it remains one of the most internationally influential works in Chinese cinema history and a classic window for foreign audiences to understand Chinese history and culture.

Gong Li's performance is widely regarded as one of the definitive roles of her career. She portrayed the image of an educated woman who moves from resistance to submission to complete breakdown with remarkable depth.

References

1. Douban - Raise the Red Lantern (1991): movie.douban.com/subject/1293002
2. Baidu Baike - Raise the Red Lantern: baike.baidu.com/item/大红灯笼高高挂
3. Wikipedia - Raise the Red Lantern: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raise_the_Red_Lantern
4. Su Tong, Wives and Concubines, Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House
5. Venice Film Festival official records