Rating: 
Summary: CONSPIRACY
Review: A visually stunning film about a woman in China who marries awealthy man as his fourth (or maybe even fifth) wife. She does notwant to do this and is in fact an educated woman who bucksconvention. However, because she is not wealthy herself, she has noreal choice but to submit to the marriage. The film focuses on theinternal intrigues that take place between the wives competing in themost petty and cruel ways for their husband's attentions. Everynight he chooses a different wife with whom to spend the night, andthis becomes a ritual in which the various wives compete and doeverything in their power to alienate and connive to keep the otherwives at bay. Gong Li is superb and beautiful as always, and the womenwho portray the other wives are almost as stunning. The woman whoplays the self-centered and spoiled opera singer is tragic andoutstanding. ...It is an intriguing and beautiful but ultimatelytragic tale.
Rating: 
Summary: A sad but powerful film
Review: The dichotomy between mainland and Hong Kong films is never more present than in a film such as Raise the Red Lantern. Mainland films explore issues of sadness and desperation with more validity than their southern counterpart and this film explores the role of sex, power, jealousy, and every once in a while, happiness among people. This film is one of many collaborations between the director Zhang Yimou and the actress Gong Li. Be warned however, this film moves at a snail's pace. It very quietly shows the transformation of an educated woman, Gong Li, who is sent to be one of many wives of a rich landowner in 1920s China. It is a beautiful film, but takes a very patient and understanding viewer to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite foreign language film!!
Review: Gong Li gives a stunning performance in a beautifully written story of four Chinese women married to the same man. Let the rivalries begin! I found this movie fascinating and there was an unexpected twist around every turn which kept me riveted from start to finish. Superb acting and beautifully shot film made this a true viewing pleasure. I rented this movie so many times I finally bought it. Hauntingly beautiful...This film is a must see! You won't be dissapointed!
Rating:
Summary: Brutal politics in a marriage of concubines
Review: Raise the Red Lantern is one of the most extraordinarily beautiful movies I have ever seen. The sets are exquisite tableaux carefully arranged, decorated and framed, and then shot from an attractive angle. The scene as they drag the third mistress, kicking and screaming to the tower of death, with the snow falling so peacefully onto the rooftops was chilling in its effect. The startling blaze of color, light and detail within the houses set against the drab simplicity of the courtyards, continually provided a contrast between life within the protection and at the favor of the master, and life without. This dichotomy is symbolized in the vibrant red lamps and the somber blue hue of the lamps when they are covered. In this manner, the mistresses are controlled. I was also struck by the sonorous beauty of the accompanying Chinese music.But more compelling than the beauty of the film is the story Director Zhang Yimou tells, a tale of paternity and imperious privilege set in early twentieth century China. He begins with the newly arrived fourth mistress, 19-year-old Songlian, a university student who, because of the death of her father, is forced to quit school. She chooses to marry a man of wealth. She is warned by her stepmother that she will be a concubine. She replies, isn't that our fate? Her cynicism and then her robust energy in seeking her ascendancy over the other sisters engages us and we identify with her struggle. What is extraordinary about Zhang's direction is how easily and naturally the personalities of the characters are revealed. The first mistress ("big sister") is too old to be of any sexual interest to the master, yet she is the mother of the eldest son. The second mistress, who has given the master only a daughter, still dreams of having a son. Her devious schemes and plots are hidden by smiles and fake good will toward her sisters. The third mistress, an opera singer still vibrant and beautiful (in a fascinating performance by the intriguing Caifei He), uses her allure in vying for the master's attention. Songlian, in spite of herself, finds herself caught up in the competition with the others. Gong Li, who plays Songlian, is very beautiful with a strength of character that one quite naturally admires. She has the gift, as does, for example, Julia Roberts, of being able to express a wide range of emotion with just a glance of her very expressive face. Serving as a foil to the mistresses, and perhaps as the most poignant victim of the concubine system, is the servant girl Yan'er, played with a compelling veracity by Kong Lin. She is occasionally (how shall I say this for Amazon?) "touched," to use Songlian's term, by the master, and so she dreamed of being the fourth mistress. But when the fourth mistress arrives, her dreams are shattered, and in her jealousy she hates Songlian and plots against her. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when Songlian, thinking Yan'er has stolen her flute, forces open the servant girl's room and finds it flooded with.... Well, you should see. Note well that the master is only hazily observed. He is a personage, a man of wealth. That is enough to know about him. He is as interchangeable as the harem masters on a beach of elephant seals. But because he has wealth, he can engage concubines who must compete with one another through him to find their station in life. One gets a sense of what it might be like in the harem system practiced by gorillas and the sheiks and warlords of old. One pleases the master not because one loves the master (although one does of course because humans tend to love their masters) but because in pleasing the master one rises above the others. Thus the triumphant call, "Light the lanterns in the third house!" Most people no doubt lament the life of the mistresses. Yet women in poor places may wish such a life upon themselves. But concubines are just prostitutes, really, one might say, trapped by a system of male privilege. But I would remind those who see only that, that for every wife the "master" has, that is one wife another man will not have. The system does NOT favor males. It favors wealth and privilege. In such a system there are many men without wives, fomenting unrest, which is why modern states forbid polygamy. What does a man do with the capital he accumulates or inherits? If the system allows, he spends it on women and the assurance of his paternity. And why is that possible? Because many women--Songlian is our example--would rather be the fourth wife of a rich man than the first and only wife of a poor man. Many women would rather be used by a man of wealth than rule the household of a nerd. This is the way humans are, and any sexist interpretation of this movie misses this truth. The real horror depicted here, though, is in the brutality used to maintain the system, not in the polygamy itself. The women who follow the rules and beget the master's children, especially if they are sons, enjoy a pampered and secure existence Those who do not are dealt with severely, branded as mad, or even murdered. Note the similar experience of the wives of Henry VIII, for example, within the English system of serial monogamy. This is a great movie, like a timeless novel fully realized, directed by a visual genius, from a script of great psychological power. Don't miss this one. It's one of the best ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Raise the Red Lantern
Review: This film gives an insight into the plight of women everywhere. The cinematography is beautiful, despite the subtitles. Since almost 90% of communication is nonverbal and involves body language, many of the subtitles are not needed, though interesting. It is a fascinating peek into another culture, another time. As a rule, I do not watch movies, but this one had me hooked from beginning to end. I reommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: raise the red lanten
Review: The best movie I've seen in a long time. Great period piece. I hated it to end. Great movie as long as you don't mind the subtitles.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking cinematography
Review: This movie was amazing. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I await the DVD version and wonder why it hasn't been made yet.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent filmmaking
Review: I like to watch foreign films so I can get a look at different ways films are made and the different cultures they represent. Raise the Red Lantern is one of the better ones I've seen. It's about the life of a concubine in China a few centuries ago and it is completely fascinating. It's very rich in emotion and very beautifully filmed. About the only complaint I have about it is that is was slightly too long, but that's just carping.
Rating:
Summary: A Unforgettable Triumph With Deep Roots and Without Peer
Review: As one watches "Raise the Red Lantern," one is reminded of the Chinese literary efforts "Golden Lotus," and "Carnal Prayer Mat." As one remembers what one has watched, it seems as though those literary works came to life and were realized on the screen. If you are new to Chinese cinema, this film should be your introduction. Not only will you fall in love with the genre -- the Chinese period study -- but you will also fall in love with Gong Li; an actress of international stature, here operating at the top of her form. The film is involved, the love of craft is evident in every scene, and the technical work is flawless. One of the finest motion pictures I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Flawless
Review: I'm a huge fan of Chinese movies, as well as all foreign movies. This movie was one of the best. It is flawless. It was the reason why I began watching foreign movies--searching for qualities that are lacking a lot in American movies. The story grabs you and pulls you in. By the end of the movie, I was mesmerized. Gong Li is a great actress. Chinese movies have wonderful acting, writing, and scenery. They are definitely on a par with America's best.
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