Raise the Red Lantern

1991 125 min ★ 7.9 Drama

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.

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Cast

Gong Li

Songlian

He Saifei

Meishan

Cao Cuifen

Zhuoyun

Kong Lin

Yan'er

Zhao Qi

Housekeeper

Jin Shuyuan

Yuru

Ma Jingwu

Chen Zuoqian

Cui Zhigang

Doctor Gao

Chu Xiao

Feipu

Cao Zengyin

Old Servant

Details

Director

Zhang Yimou

Tagline

"China, 1920. One Master, Four Wives."

Status

Released

Original Language

ZH

Budget

$1,000,000

Revenue

$16,600,000

Production

ERA International, China Film Co-Production, Century Communications, Salon Films

Reviews

F

Filipe Manuel Neto

March 8, 2023

★ 2/10

**In the context of oriental cinema, it's a good film... but it's very different from the cinema that we, in the West, are used to, and this difference ends up killing our interest in this work.** I think this movie was the first Chinese movie I saw, I'm not really sure. I am not an expert on the cinema of this country, but I can say that it is one of those films that you see without much speci...

P

Priscilla Chu

June 9, 2025

**Raise the Red Lantern:** Directed by Zhang Yimou, Raise the Red Lantern (大红灯笼高高挂) stands as a seminal work in Chinese cinema, premiering in 1991 and adapted from Su Tong's novel Wives and Concubines. The film achieved international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and earning nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film, solidifying its status as ...