I knew nothing about this Chinese film before reading about it in the book, then I saw critics gave it high praise and full marks, so I hoped for another deserved listed entry, directed by Yimou Zhang (Red Sorghum, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, The Great Wall). Basically set in the 1920s, nineteen-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) is an educated woman, her father has recently died and left the family bankrupt, she is forced to abandons her studies and marry Chen Zuoqian (Jingwu Ma), the wealthy lord of a powerful family, becoming his fourth wife. Arriving at the palace, Songlian is first treated like royalty, given foot massages and brightly lit red lanterns outside his private quarters, but she soon discovers that not all the concubines in the household receive the same luxurious treatment. The master, whose face is never clearly seen, decides on a daily basis which concubine he will spend the night with, whomever he chooses will get lanterns lit, get luxuries, and get the most attention and respect from servants. This causes the four wives to be in competition against each other, continually vying for their husband's attention and affections. The First Mistress, Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), appears to be almost the same age as the master himself, despite giving the master a son years earlier, she is assigned to live her life as forgotten, passed over in favour of the younger concubines. The Second Mistress, Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifen), befriends Songlian, complimenting her youth and beauty, and giving her expensive silk as a gift. She also warns her about the Third Mistress, Meishan (He Saifei), a former opera singer who is spoiled and is unable to cope with no longer being the youngest and most favoured of the master's playthings. As time passes, though, Songlian learns that it is really Zhuoyun, the Second Mistress, who is not to be trusted. Songlian pretends to be pregnant, attempting to gain more attention from the master, and at the same time, trying to actually become pregnant. Zhuoyun, however, is in league with Songlian's personal maid, Yan'er (Kong Lin) who finds blood-covered garments, suggesting Songlian had recently had her period, discovering the pregnancy is a fraud. Family physician, Doctor Gao (Cui Zhigang) is summoned by Zhuoyun, the doctor is secretly having an affair with the Third Mistress. The pregnancy is confirmed to be a sham, the master is infuriated, and orders Songlian's lanterns are covered with thick black canvas bags indefinitely. Songlian blames Yan'er for these events, she reveals to the house that Yan'er's room is filled with lit red lanterns, the maid dreams of becoming a mistress instead of a lowly servant, and suggesting she is in love with the master and may have slept with him. Yan'er is punished by having the lanterns burned while she kneels in the snow, watching as they smoulder, she refuses to apologise and remains in the snow throughout the night, she collapses, falls sick and ultimately dies. Songlian is told of the passing of her former maid, she comes to the conclusion that she is happier in solitude, seeing the competition between the concubines as a useless endeavour. As Songlian retreats further into her solitude, she begins speaking of suicide, reasoning that death is a better fate than being a concubine for the lord. On her twentieth birthday, severely intoxicated and despondent, Songlian inadvertently blurts out the details of the love affair between Meishan and Doctor Gao to Zhuoyun, after the adulterous couple are caught together by Zhuoyun, Meishan is dragged to the room of death, she is hanged to death by the master's servants. Songlian, already agonising the fruitlessness of her life, witnesses the hanging and is emotionally traumatized, after the summer, when the master marries a fifth concubine. In the end, Songlian is seen wandering the compound in her old schoolgirl clothes, she has gone completely insane. Also starring Qi Zhao as the Housekeeper and Chu Xiao as Feipu, the master's eldest son. The leading actress is beautiful and compelling as the vulnerable teenager trying to adjust to living under the strict rules and tensions of the household, I just about got the gist of the story, the red lanterns of the title certainly helped, but this is also full of wonderful use of colour, symbolic compositions, stylised sets, terrific costumes and breathtaking rural landscape, an interesting and worthwhile drama. Very good!
Review of Raise the Red Lantern
