Raise The Red Lantern
The phenomenal success and international acclaim of RAISE THE RED LANTERN, cemented Zhang

Yimou's status as a leading figure in world cinema and reaffirmed the vibrancy of Chinese

cinema. Though the film was the topic of great political controversy in China upon its

release, it received armfuls of awards from Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom and a

nomination for an Academy Award. This sumptuously photographed drama, set in Northern China in

the 1920s and based on the novel {-Wives and Concubines} by Su Tong, stars GONG LI as

Songlian, the fourth wife of an elderly landlord. Songlian is a college student who has been

married off by her stepmother, so it is with tremendous frustration that this woman, who had

hopes of using her education to broaden her horizons, now finds herself reduced to a small

enclosure at the beck and call of her husband. Despite being given a maid (KONG LIN) and

luxurious surroundings, she feels trapped inside the cheerless walls. Upon her arrival,

Songlian realizes that she must keep one step ahead of her rivals, the three other wives. She

also learns of her husband's tradition of lighting a lantern outside of the house of the wife

with whom he intends to spend the night. During the first night together with her husband, she

finds he is called away to tend to his spoiled third wife (HE CAIFEI). Songlian then becomes

acquainted with his other wives -- his first wife (JIN SHUYUAN), an elderly woman who ignores

Songlian; the third wife, an ex-opera singer; and the second wife (CAO CUIFENG), who offers

Songlian friendship and helpful advice. But it turns out that the second wife's motives are

not exactly innocent--she is conspiring with Songlian's maid to undermine both the third wife

and Songlian. RAISE THE RED LANTERN is a moving exploration of power in a suffocating world of

ossified tradition and naked ambition-a masterpiece of 1990s world cinema. ~ Paul Brenner,

Rovi