"Raise the Red Lantern"

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes the role of women in turn of the century Chinese culture and reveals the emphasis on ritual and custom in Chinese culture.
The paper looks at the story depicted in the film, which focuses on nineteen-year old Songlian (played by Li Gong), who is cajoled into marrying a wealthy householder to become his fourth wife. It also compares the practice of polygamy and concubines, a religious practice which is alien to the American viewer. The paper examines the difficulties surrounding the film's initial release in China because the film seemed to contain anti-government innuendo.

From the Paper:

"It is Zhang Yimou's choice to use the concubines as windows into this facet of 1920's Chinese culture. The film is full of reminders of the shocking misogyny ingrained in Chinese culture. An American viewer might initially scorn Chinese culture based on this insight, but a closer analysis reveals striking similarities between Chinese and American societies. Especially in the 1920s, women accepted their subordinate roles in society. Until the year 1920, American women had no say in politics. They did not work nor attend college, unless it meant meeting a man to marry. American family life seems devoid of rituals when compared to the family shown in Raise the Red Lantern, but in fact, American families are indeed structured and ritualized. However, arranged marriage, polygamy, and more brutal mistreatment of women are singular to the Chinese culture depicted in the film."

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