Fresh
Visually ravishing and emotionally cold, Zhang's third feature is one long series of pushes and pulls.
Rob Nelson, Village Voice
Raise the Red Lantern
China, 1920. One master, four wives.
1991 · 2h 5m · PG
Drama
Directed by
Zhang Yimou
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Raise the Red Lantern
Overview
In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
97%
Tomatometer
Fresh
A beautifully crafted and richly detailed feat of consciousness-raising and a serious drama with the verve of a good soap opera.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Fresh
Gong Li delivers a performance of exquisite expressiveness that, like the film itself, is unnerving in its emotional nakedness.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Fresh
A near-perfect movie that often recalls the visual purity and intensity of silent films.
John Hartl, Film.com
Fresh
In purely aesthetic terms, Raise the Red Lantern is breathtaking.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
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