Da hong deng long gao gao gua (1991)

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Su Tong (novel)
Ni Zhen (writer)

Release Date:

12 February 1992 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

China, 1920. One master, four wives.

Plot:

China in the 1920's. After her father's death, nineteen year old Songlian is forced to marry Chen Zuoqian...

Plot Keywords:

Pregnancy | 1920s | Multiple Wives | Concubine | Insanity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Li Gong	...	Songlian
Caifei He	...	Meishan (Third Wife)
Cuifen Cao	...	Zhuoyan (Second Wife)
Jingwu Ma	...	The Master
Qi Zhao	...	Housekeeper
Lin Kong	...	Yan'er
Jin Shuyuan	...	Yuru (First Wife)
Weimin Ding	...	Songlian's mother
Cao Zhengyin	...	Old servant
Zhihgang Cui	...	Dr. Gao
Chu Xiao	...	Feipu

Also Known As:

Raise the Red Lantern (USA)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

China | Hong Kong | Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Company:

Century Communications

Trivia:

"The Master's" face is never seen. It is either obscured behind thin curtains or out of shot.

Quotes:

The Third Concubine: Good or bad, it's all playacting. If you act well, you can fool other people; if you do it badly, you can only fool yourself, and when you can't even fool yourself, you just can fool the ghosts.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Turandot Project (2000)

Engrossing from the first moments

My interest was maintained throughout every minute of this rather long film. I don't remember when I've seen another film in which every single role was played to perfection. (Incidentally, this wonderfully believable acting seems to occur in at least some, if not most, of the roles in every Chinese movie I see, from the mainland or otherwise.)

The story is one of classical simplicity, in in large part presented with the same classical, clear quality. The interplay of passion, jealousy, and revenge is reminiscent of Shakespeare, but, for me, more entertaining--if it's proper to speak of such ultimately somber and even horrifying subject matter as entertainment.

I unhesitatingly gave a vote of ten, and noticed that a full 33% of voters so far had done the same--very unusual.

When Roger Ebert called "Raise the Red Lantern" "breathtakingly beautiful," he wasn't exaggerating. But beyond its beauty, its moral seriousness, the fact that not for a moment is it "dumbed down" in the regrettable Hollywood fashion, its superb acting, and its almost unbelievably perfect pacing, make it a rare, rare experience.

"Red Sorghum," the only other Zhang Yimou film I've seen so far, I found somewhat propagandistic but gripping and visually stunning (even more so than "Raise the Red Lantern.") I will be making an effort to see more of this director's fairly extensive body of work.

It's a shame major theater chains don't schedule movies of this caliber instead of the torrent of commercialized Hollywood trash they foist on the public, which, alas, seems only too eager to wallow in more and more of it.