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Raise the Red Lantern

Play trailer Poster for Raise the Red Lantern PG 1991 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Teenage Songlian (Gong Li), whose family has been devastated by the recent death of her father, becomes the third concubine of wealthy Master Chen (Ma Jingwu). She soon discovers that behind the palatial luxury of life in the master's house, she and her fellow concubines, Zhuoyan (Cao Cuifeng) and Meishan (He Caifei), are pitted against each other in a struggle for his affections. The situation inevitably leads to deception, jealous rages and the revelation of each other's darkest secrets.
Raise the Red Lantern

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Visually thrilling and rich with emotion, Raise the Red Lantern offers an engrossing period drama anchored by an outstanding performance from Gong Li.

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Critics Reviews

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Ted Shen Chicago Reader 05/26/2022
3/4
Zhang seems to suggest, the price for rebellion and transgression is still death or madness. Go to Full Review Rob Nelson Village Voice 02/27/2007
Visually ravishing and emotionally cold, Zhang's third feature is one long series of pushes and pulls. Go to Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times 05/20/2003
4.5/5
A beautifully crafted and richly detailed feat of consciousness-raising and a serious drama with the verve of a good soap opera. Go to Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times 08/30/2024
5/5
Once again making exceptional use of bright colour, symbolic compositions, stylised sets and the breathtaking rural landscape, director Zhang Yimou has fashioned a compelling and at times erotic story about the repression of women in 1920s China. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 02/12/2022
4/4
In Raise the Red Lantern, Zhang Yimou's most widely acclaimed film, the Chinese director portrays life as a series of performative gestures under the duress of cultural tradition, prescribed gender roles, and hierarchical power structures. Go to Full Review Tom Meek Cambridge Day 07/15/2020
4/4
The feminist anthem here is a subtle wisp bolstered by sumptuousness, Zhang's masterful composition and Gong. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ronnie M @spuncake 01/27/2025 Unforgettable Movie... this movie pulls you into the story. Great acting and very realistic settings. Love it See more Alec B @Alec97 02/21/2024 It starts off as melodrama but ends like a horror movie. Love the shooting location which is like a claustrophobic labyrinth. See more Jerod S @jeroduptown 09/08/2023 The Red Lantern was the symbol of the master being in a mistresses house...and these 4 ladies are in a battle - for significance, worth, companionship. The old school chinese system is brutally put on display. And even though its slow, it's a great story. See more Georgan G @RT98616417 07/26/2023 Well-done but sad Chinese film which shows the fruitless lives of wife and concubines of a rich man in the 1920s. We watch the latest woman go through her first year in this household where the females must compete for the master's attention. See more Massoud H @Massoud 03/17/2023 So exquisite. One of my all-time favorite films. See more 04/10/2022 It starts off as melodrama but ends like a horror movie. Love the shooting location which is like a claustrophobic labyrinth. See more Read all reviews
Raise the Red Lantern

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Yimou Zhang

Director

Gong Li

Songlian

Jingwu Ma

The Master

Saifei He

Meishan (Third Wife)

Cao Cuifeng

Zhuoyan (Second Wife)

Jin Shuyuan

Yuru

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Raise the Red Lantern

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Raise the Red Lantern (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Teenage Songlian (Gong Li), whose family has been devastated by the recent death of her father, becomes the third concubine of wealthy Master Chen (Ma Jingwu). She soon discovers that behind the palatial luxury of life in the master's house, she and her fellow concubines, Zhuoyan (Cao Cuifeng) and Meishan (He Caifei), are pitted against each other in a struggle for his affections. The situation inevitably leads to deception, jealous rages and the revelation of each other's darkest secrets.
Director
Yimou Zhang
Producer
Fu-Sheng Chiu
Screenwriter
Su Tong, Ni Zhen
Distributor
Orion Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
China Film Co-Production Corporation, Salon Films, Century Communications, ERA International
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 10, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 4, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.6K
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby