Raise the Red Lantern
Grade:
|
 |
Plot Summary:
19-year-old Song-Lien becomes the fourth wife to a rich merchant. Soon after joining the family she finds out the other wives are in a constant power struggle for status and the master's attention and she needs to learn how to join in to survive. Much backstabbing ensues...
Opinion:
"Raise the Red Lantern" is a richly artistic and fascinating drama about a wealthy Chinese merchant and his four wives. Actually--rephrasing it slightly--it's a drama about four Chinese wives and their wealthy merchant husband. "RRL" takes place entirely from the wives' perspective, and in fact there is arguably not a single significant male character in the movie, even including the master. Strictly speaking, "RRL" is a very simple movie: almost all talking (there is very little 'action') and virtually the entire movie takes place in an enclosed family compound, so there is very little change in settings. Sound dull to you--the equivalent of a two hour 'daytime soap opera' in a foreign language, perhaps? Just you wait... From the first scene, where our 'heroine' Song-Lien commits herself to becoming the plural wife of a rich man for the sake of her family, and all throughout her new life in the family compound where she has to adjust to her new lifestyle and then learn how to succeed--"RRL" is uncommonly fascinating. And this is even from a 'guy' perspective, mind you--female viewers will undoubtedly find more resonance and empathy in the challenges faced by each of the main female characters. I'd be willing to bet no matter what your gender or cultural background, you'll be involved in the movie after the first half-hour.
While it doesn't have the historical scope of
"To Live" nor the brilliant artistic palettes of
"Hero" or
"Ju Dou", I still believe this is Chinese director Zhang Yi-Mou's finest movie. Each individual scene is lovely to behold, and filled with emotionally charged dialog--so much that the lack of 'action' is never an issue. (For example, "RRL" has what has to be the most tension-filled, edge-of-your-seat 'haircut' scene in the history of cinema. You'll see what I mean...) Characterizations are a strong point, with each of the main characters having added depth to their personalities--which is slowly and effectively revealed throughout the course of the movie.
Plot unpredictability is another of "RRL"'s strengths. Most (US) movies have predictable, cookie-cutter plots that from the first twenty minutes smart movie-goers know exactly what is going to happen and when--even including the so-called plot "twists". "RRL", partly because of it's foreign production and partly because of good scripting, is extremely difficult to predict and the movie will give you an exhilarating feeling of 'sailing into the unknown' where you don't know what's going to happen next (and you want to find out, too). Being unpredictable doesn't automatically equal
good, of course--there are a number of
deus ex machina endings that could be devised for any movie that would certainly be 'surprising' yet actively make the movie worse. Yet, "RRL" deserves credit for being a unique and incomparable experience for those who watch.
Example 1: 45 minutes in, Song-Lien meets a new male character for the first time, and from the scene it seems obvious what part this new guy is going to play and what their relationship is going to be. Of course, the movie heads in a completely different direction from then on...
Example 2: Later, Song-Lien visits the room of a household maid looking for something...but finds something
else, and I bet no one watching will be able to anticipate ahead of time what that something is...
I've rated "RRL" very highly, yet I understand that it's not for everyone. I wouldn't, in fact, put it first on a list for "The Chinese movie other than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that every culturally-literate American should see" ("To Live" would win there, because of its historical scope, even though I would still consider "RRL" to be narratively and artistically superior). Still, if you've read the above plot summary and find the premise to be at all intriguing, and/or you're sick of dull, predictable Hollywood movies and want to try something new for a change, put "Raise the Red Lantern" high on your list.
Content Analysis: (Solidly PG...but still a non-'family movie')
There is an offscreen murder and one brief 'catfight' between two women, but the film is solidly within the bounds of a PG. This is not a kids' movie, of course, because of the thematic material, nor would you bring this out for a Family Home Evening activity. I'm not sure you'd pick this one to see on a date, either--unless both of you are really 'cultural' types. Sex does play an inherent part in the inner workings of the household, yet there is no direct sexual dialogue and no nudity.
In-depth Analysis:
Okay...now that you've seen "Raise the Red Lantern", here's a question for you: was the master of the house a good looking guy or not? Think carefully, now... Having trouble even remembering what he looked like? Not surprising--since Zhang Yi-Mou never actually
shows the master anytime during the movie. He's always offscreen, or obscured by bed curtains or other objects. Obviously, this was a conscious decision--but why do you think would Zhang go to that much trouble? I see it as symbolic of sorts--showing that the true focus of the movie is on the wives and their lives while the master (their husband and supposed ruler) is always some shadowy figure off to the side--present, yet in a way, insignificant. The master is the absolute ruler of the household, of course, but the movie also demonstrates how easily one or another of his wives can manipulate him to get what she wants--so who
really is the boss of the house?
Zhang also uses a similar and effective 'less-is-more' philosophy when it comes to the "Room of Death". The "Room of Death" is never shown, of course, and--naturally--that makes the viewer want to see what's inside more. Immediately after Meishan's death, the viewer 'knows' what's inside, but feels a sort of desperation (and morbid fascination, perhaps) with seeing for ourselves, which Zhang doesn't allow. That, by itself, makes the whole "Room of Death" idea even more intriguing (and frightening) than if Zhang had been quite forthcoming in showing everything that happens inside.
The character of Yan'er (the maid) and her relationship with Song-Lien is a crucial one in "Raise the Red Lantern". Yan'er wants nothing more in the world than to be one of the wives, although ironically I doubt Song-Lien or the others think much of the 'honor'. The differing levels of social hierarchy in the household demonstrate the natural tendency of men (and women) to be dissatisfied with our status in life and envy those above us, even as we are simultaneously being envied by those below. Similarly, the movie also demonstrates the ease at which people who feel oppressed in their own lives try to oppress and control those below them.
The character of Feipu, the master's oldest son, is an interesting one. When he's first introduced, Zhang seems to have deliberately set up the idea that he and Song-Lien are going to have a romantic relationship, thereby leading to Song-Lien being the one to die for adultery at the end. (As mentioned above, I'd imagine 90% of viewers are going to predict that turn of events in their head after this scene...) That doesn't happen, of course, but that begs the question: if Feipu was not in the movie to be Song-Lien's boyfriend, then what exactly is his purpose? I see him as a parallel of sorts to the master--an insignificant male character who's out of reach, symbolizing a life and a love that Song-Lien will never find. Their first meeting has a sense of hope, but which Song-Lien actively discards in their second meeting. Perhaps, he turns out in the end to be a superfluous character to the plot, but I think his presence still has some symbolic value.
One last thing: I realize readers will probably be expecting some kind of comment on the parallels between the polygamy in "Raise the Red Lantern" and early LDS plural marriage. Of course, they're really not that alike--people hear 'polygamy' and they think of it as it is portrayed in the movie--a rich guy gets to buy better and better looking girls to share his bed with. This 'fantasy polygamy' idea has persisted to the present day, with people inside and outside the Church convinced that if ever made legal again, all the men of the Church will jump at the chance to have multiple wives. Read my post
here for my argument that men then and now weren't/won't be happy to have multiple wives because 'real polygamy' and 'fantasy polygamy' are two totally separate things.
