Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.
Raise the Red Lantern is a visually stunning masterpiece by Zhang Yimou, renowned for its extraordinary use of color, symmetry, and the oppressive architecture of the compound as a metaphor for patriarchal control. Gong Li delivers a commanding, layered performance anchored in restraint and quiet devastation. The film's ritualistic structure — the lighting of lanterns as a symbol of favor and power — is deeply original in conception, creating a suffocating atmosphere unlike almost anything in world cinema. The plot, while deliberate and compelling, is somewhat thin as pure narrative, relying heavily on atmosphere over dramatic incident. The ending, while tonally consistent and haunting, is somewhat foreseeable given the film's relentless thematic arc toward psychological destruction.