Raise the Red Lantern

 2.5/4

Starring: Gong Li, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen, Kong Lin, Zhou Qi, Jin Shuyuan, Ma Jingwu

Not Rated (probable PG-13 for Sexuality and Disturbing Content)

If someone were to put a gun to my head and demand that I name my favorite actress, I'd probably have to go with Gong Li.  While she doesn't always appear in the best movies, her beauty and talent cannot be denied.  Even in lousy movies like "Shanghai" or "Leap," Li always impresses.  She is, in every sense of the word, a movie star.

Songlian (Li) has just been married off to a wealthy man (Jingwu).  She is the "fourth mistress" of the man, and her "sisters" have varying reactions to her presence.  The first wife, Yuru (Shuyuan), is indifferent.  His third wife, Meishan (Saifei), refuses to even meet with her.  Only the second wife, Zhuoyun (Cuifen), is welcoming.  Because she is the new arrival, it is assumed that the master will spend the first night with Songlian.  However, he is called away by the pampered third wife.  It becomes clear to her that her status in the household is dependent on getting the master's affections, and everyone is willing to play dirty to get it.

At first glance "Raise the Red Lantern" seems to be nothing more than soft-core sexual melodrama.  In reality there isn't any horizontal action at all (the closest the film comes is a scene with Songlian and the master talking in bed while fully clothed).  That's the right decision.  "Raise the Red Lantern" isn't about sex, it's about power.  It's obvious what is going on behind the scenes, but showing the sexuality would have distracted the audience from its core themes.  Director Zhang Yimou's focus is on these women and how they attempt to out maneuver each other to achieve the highest status.  Further emphasizing this is the fact that the Master is never shown fully.  He's either filmed in long shot or obscured, demonstrating that his position is more important than his character.  Similarly, the women are addressed by their number rather than their name.

Unfortunately, the screenplay isn't fully written.  In what may seem like stating the obvious, there's a lot going on beneath the surface.  But the screenplay isn't strong enough to make those themes stand out.  A case can be made for subtlety, of course, but that is contingent on having a strong script and precisely defined characters.  "Raise the Red Lantern" has neither.  No one is developed enough to the point where I always understood what they were doing and why.  I felt like I was playing catch up with the characters, and that's rarely a good sign in a film.

It is amazing then that Gong Li is able to do so much with her character.  Songlian is smart (she was a university student until the death of her father necessitated her dropping out and getting married) and learns to play the game as well as anyone.  But some of her actions don't turn out the way she anticipates, which hurt her in more ways than one.  Cao Cuifen and He Seifei are adept at showing how their initial impressions belie their true natures.  Kong Lin is also very good as Yan'er, Songlian's spiteful maid.

Zhang Yimou has always possessed a fantastic visual sense.  Even "The Great Wall," his pathetic attempt at striking gold in the world film market, had some great looking images.  "Raise the Red Lantern" is no different, using bright reds and oranges to create a whole world inside this compound.  It isn't as effective as some other films such as "Cracks," but it comes close.  Conversely, Songlian's strolls along the balconies reminded me of "The Fall."

But good performances and striking visuals can only take a film so far.  The screenplay is the most important thing, and that's where the film comes up short.  There's a lot to admire about "Raise the Red Lantern," so while I can't exactly recommend it, I can't advise against seeing it.  Maybe more will become clear on repeat viewings.