Available at Amazon.com
Director
Yimou Zhang
Cast
Li Gong………. Songlian
Caifei He………. Meishan (Third Wife)
Cuifen Cao………. Zhuoyan (Second Wife)
Jingwu Ma………. The Master
Qi Zhao……….Housekeeper
Jin Shuyuan……….Yuru (First Wife)
The Movie
When one looks at all of the problems that getting a film made can entail in America, getting one produced outside the States is no picnic either. Making a film in China with the restrictions of the Communist government has been rumored to be much tougher than the cruelest movie studio chief stateside; films that manage to be seen worldwide from the mainland of that country have surprisingly been amongst the best of the year. Much like how Russia has released Nochnoy Dozor and Dnevnoy Dozor in the wake of the fall of the old Soviet Union, it’ll be interesting to see what happens to Chinese filmmaking if/when the Communist government there goes to the wayside of the U.S.S.R. Until then we’re left with several masterworks of cinema from the country, including the classic Raise the Red Lantern
Also known as Da hong deng long gao gao gua, Raise the Red Lantern follows the tail of Singlian (Li Gong). She’s been made the fourth wife of a man only known as The Master (Jingwu Ma), a man never actually shown. She’s an educated woman married against her will, much to her chagrin, but quickly becomes involved in the lives of the three other women also married to The Master. Yuru (Jin Shuyuan) is an older woman who accepts her newfound “sister” begrudgingly. Zhuoyan (Cuifen Cao) seemingly has no problems and tries to warm up and be her friend. Meishan (Caifei He) is a famous opera singer with a diva-like attitude.
It’s interesting to see how Li Gong’s career has changed since this film debuted. Having found some success in Miami Vice and Memoirs of a Geisha, both of which featured fine performances from her despite problems with the language, it’s nice to see her act without the constraints of a foreign tongue. It’s a subtle yet powerful performance from her as the youngest wife. We learn with her as she learns the rules of the house and plays the games the other wives do for the favor and attention of their husband. Featuring a series of red lanterns which are raised at whichever wife The Master is currently visiting, it’s a dramatic masterpiece that unfolds slowly but meticulously.
Zhang knows exactly where he wants to take this film, and doesn’t feel the urge to rush a thing. This is a slow-moving film that takes full advantage of its two hour running time to craft its story.
A/V QUALITY CONTROL
Presented in a widescreen format with a 2.35:1 ratio, as well as in Dolby surround sound, the film also contains English, French and Spanish subtitles for those without a working knowledge of Mandarin. This transfer of the film is notable in that the color clarity has been significantly upped since its last release on DVD, leading many to dub it “Raise the Orange Lantern.”
This transfer of the DVD is superior in that the film’s coloring has finally matches what Zhang’s vision initially entailed. Instead of having the film’s colors look a shade or two off from their original hues. The colors are still a bit off in terms of their color but it is much closer than before.
The Extras
None.
