Da hong deng long gao gao gua (1991)

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Su Tong (novel)
Ni Zhen (writer)

Release Date:

20 December 1991 (France)

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:

1920s | Lantern | China | Drunk Scene | Romantic Rivalry

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 14 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Raise the Red Lantern (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

China | Hong Kong | Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Colour:

Colour (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:

Songlian's mother: Rich man? If you marry a rich man, you will only be his concubine.
Songlian: Let me be a concubine. Isn't that the fate of a woman?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nitrato d'argento (1996)

A Lyrical Beauty

"Raise the Red Lantern" is set at a Chinese baronial estate, the time, the 1920s. But, as the family-servant dynamics are placed on display, the viewer begins to feel it could be a thousand years earlier. The story is shown through the eyes of a young college-dropout played by Gong Li. Family misfortune has forced her into concubinage as the "fourth mistress" of the Chinese lord. A headstrong woman, her relationship with the lord's household, especially the other three mistresses, form the basis of the story. But it's telling is as important as the story itself. This is a beautiful, well-acted, well-directed movie. Slow-paced, it ingratiates itself with you, drawing you in deeper and deeper. I can't think of anything that warrants improvement. A masterpiece.