Raise the Red Lantern

Raise the Red Lantern is an absolute gem in the rich and eclectic body of work by Zhang Yimou. His adaptation of Su Tong’s novella Wives and Concubines brought him international acclaim and the status of a new master of world cinema. The Silver Lion in Venice, the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and an Oscar nomination only added to the director’s success.

Gong Li shines in the lead role; she has collaborated with Zhang nine times and quickly became an icon of contemporary cinema.

The film captivates with its innovative use of color, masterful staging of historic 18th-century spaces, dramatic precision, and deeply feminist reflection.

Although Chinese censors saw in it a metaphor for the authoritarian system and delayed its domestic release, nothing could harm its fame. Over time, this sophisticated period piece found its way onto many lists of the best films in cinema history.