Reviews written by Carmen K.
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Raise The Red Lantern (DVD-9) (China Version)
Raise The Red Lantern (DVD-9) (China Version) DVD Region All
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April 4, 2006 This is a cinematic feast for the senses!This was one of the first items I purchased from this site, however, it isn't my first Asian film nor has it been my last.
"Raise the Red Lantern" has all the reasons why I fell in love with Asian Cinema in the first place.
First off, the title is what brought me in. Upon watching the film, I knew it meant exactly what it said.
The movie involves a formally educated, headstrong young woman who takes a stand for her own life by accepting the marriage of a wealthy man. This man who also happens to have other wives.
Now, I was expecting this story to go into another direction, where the young heroine realizes the bondage she's put herself into.
Now, I'm NOT going to give the movie away, because I want others to watch it, but the heroine, though educated and stubborn, does realize her fate, yet, so many circumstances involved in the complex household tangle the plot and subplots, leading to a conclusion that though I was not happy with, made so much more sense and should serve as a warning on the dangers that human nature often put us in.
The subtitles were a bit weak in that the text wasn't clear to read, especially in the lighter backgrounds, but, straining to read them is worth the effort: many of the actors are attractive to look at, and even the secondary characters had strength behind their performances. No acting was over the top. There wasn't melodrama, just a subtle acting and skill that feels honest and that I believe Hollywood has lost.
The colors, the cinematic tones and background makes the viewer understand the environment, that you are there with the people, and not a spectator.
It's nice to see what directors like Zhang Yi mou have done before their films crossed over to Hollywood. Now, Hollywood does hold a bigger budget, and a few times, Hollywood gets a foreign-made film right, but seeing the directors' previous works made in their own studios shows a heart. And that heart beats in "Raise the Red Lantern".
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