Title: Raise the Red Lantern
Release Date (HK): DVD – 2005-07-31
Genre: Drama
Plot Summary: Set in China during the 1920s, a nineteen-year-old girl named Songlian is compelled to marry Chen Zuoqian, an elderly lord of a powerful family. Chen already has three other wives who reside in separate houses within his grand castle. The competition among these women is intense as they vie for their master’s attention, which brings power, status, and privilege. Each night, Chen chooses with whom to spend the evening by lighting a red lantern outside the chosen wife’s house. However, the delicate balance begins to unravel as the women scheme and manipulate one another in a desperate bid for their master’s favor.
Additional Highlights:
– Directed by Zhang Yimou, who is renowned for his visually stunning films set in China.
– The film is known for its intricate narrative structure, beautiful cinematography, and thoughtful exploration of female power dynamics within a patriarchal society.
– Raise the Red Lantern was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful upon its release. It won numerous awards, including Best Film at the 1992 Hong Kong Film Awards and a nomination for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
– The film has been recognized as a significant work in Chinese cinema and is often included in discussions about Asian art house cinema.