DAHONG DENGLONG GAOGAO Lee, Joann, "Zhang Yimous Raise the Red Lantern: Contextual GUA Analysis of Film through a Confucian/Feminist Matrix, in Asian nema(Drexel Hill), Spring 1996 Kong, Haili, "Symbolism through Zhang Yimous Subversive Lens Raise the red lantern in His Early Films, ' in Asian Cinema(Drexel Hill), Winter 1996-1997 Hong Kong-China, 1991 Wei,Y,""Music and Femininity in Zhang Yimou's Family Melo Director: Zhang yimou drama, in CineAction(Toronto), no 42, 1997. Production: Era International, Hong Kong, in association with China Film Co-production Corporation; colour, 35mm; running time: 125 Raise the red lantern was one of the rare chinese films success- fully marketed in America and its success has been ascribed to its play:Ni Zhen, based on a short story by Su Tong: photography: sao tic formula of a man with five wives and the radiant beauty of the Producers: Chiu Fu-Sheng, Hou Xiaoxian, Zhang Wenze; screen- Gong Li. The film has certainly capped the international reputa- Zhao Fei; editor: Du Yuan; assistant directors: Zhang Hanie, Gao tion of its director Zhang Yimou and made him the most successful Jingwen; art directors: Cao Jiuping, Dong Huamiao; music: Zhao director among the"Fifth Generation"filmmakers(including Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Wu Ziniu) who first made their mark in costumes: Huang Lihua. Chinese cinema in the mid-1980s Cast: Gong Li (songliao Jingwu( Chen Zuogian): He Caifei Superficially at least, Raise the Red Lantern has all the hallmarks Meishan); Cao Cuifeng(Zhuoyun); Jin Shuyuan(Yur); Kong Lin of a sizzling soap-opera melodrama featuring the beautiful Gong li as (Yan'er); Ding Weimin(Mother Song); Cui Zhigang(Doctor Gao); the fourth wife of Master Chen, a wealthy, traditionalist husband of Zhou Qi(head servant the Chinese gentry class Master Chens mansion is divided into four quarters or courtyards--each occupied by one of his wives, who an all enjoined to live harmoniously under one roof. It is a manor Publications dominated by the observance of arcane rituals, family rules and regulations-a central ritual being the hanging of red lanterns in the quarters of the master's choice of sleeping partner for the night. The plot ingredients of a melodrama come into play as three of the Chute,David.""Golden Hours"in Film Comment(Denville, New wives--Zhuoyun( the second wife), Meishan( the third wife, an opera Jersey), March/April 1991 singer), and Songlian(the fourth and most recent wife, played by Reynaud, Berenice, ""China-On the Set with Zhang Yimou"in Gong Li), -become rivals for the master's affections(the first wife Sight and Sound (London), July 1991. being too old to be a serious rival) Variety(New York), 7 October 1991 Zhuoyun is deceptively friendly, showing her true colours in the Reynaud, Berenice, Ghosts of the Future, in Sight and Sound, course of the film. as the most treacherous of the master's wives London ), November 1991 Meishan hides her tragic vulnerability beneath a bitchy, cunning Niogret,H,""Rouge, noir et blanc"in Positif( Paris), January 1992. veneer, while Songlian is equally vulnerable but much less equipped Bassan, R, Revue du Cinema(Paris), January 1992. to handle the politics of rivalry and jealousy. The object is not only to Glaessner, V, Sight and Sound (London), February 1992. Garcia, M, Films in Review(London), May-June 1992 win the masters affections but to exert authority over the wider Fortin, P, Sequences(Montreal), September 1992 household of other concubines and servants. As a servant says Younis, R, Cinema Papers(Victoria), October 1992 authority is where the lantern is hung. To complicate matters Sutton, D.S.,""Ritual, History and the Films of Zhang Yimou, Songlian's servant, Yan, has ambitions of her own to become one of East-West(Honolulu), July 1994 the masters mistresses. Y an taunts Songlian by being mildly rebel- Klawans, S, "Zhang Yimou, in Film Comment(New York), voL. lious and insolent(going against regulations, she hangs up torn and 31, September-October 1995 patched red lanterns in her own room), and informs on her mistress Young-Sau Fong, Suzie, ""The Voice of Feminine Madness in Zhang activities in Zhuoyun Yimou's Dahong Denglong Gaogao Gua. "in Asian Cinema The story works as a kind of gothic melodrama when Songlian (Drexel Hill), Spring 1995 discovers a locked room on the roof of the mansion and is told that it285 DAHONG DENGLONG GAOGAO D GUA (Raise the Red Lantern) Hong Kong-China, 1991 Director: Zhang Yimou Production: Era International, Hong Kong, in association with China Film Co-production Corporation; colour, 35mm; running time: 125 minutes. Producers: Chiu Fu-Sheng, Hou Xiaoxian, Zhang Wenze; screen￾play: Ni Zhen, based on a short story by Su Tong; photography: Zhao Fei; editor: Du Yuan; assistant directors: Zhang Haniie, Gao Jingwen; art directors: Cao Jiuping, Dong Huamiao; music: Zhao Jiping, Naoki Tachikawa; sound: Li Lanhua; make-up: Sun Wei; costumes: Huang Lihua. Cast: Gong Li (Songlian); Ma Jingwu (Chen Zuoqian); He Caifei (Meishan); Cao Cuifeng (Zhuoyun); Jin Shuyuan (Yuru); Kong Lin (Yan’er); Ding Weimin (Mother Song); Cui Zhigang (Doctor Gao); Zhou Qi (head servant). Publications Articles: Chute, David, ‘‘Golden Hours’’ in Film Comment (Denville, New Jersey), March/April 1991. Reynaud, Berenice, ‘‘China—On the Set with Zhang Yimou’’ in Sight and Sound (London), July 1991. Variety (New York), 7 October 1991. Reynaud, Berenice, ‘‘Ghosts of the Future,’’ in Sight and Sound, (London), November 1991. Niogret, H., ‘‘Rouge, noir et blanc’’ in Positif (Paris), January 1992. Bassan, R., Revue du Cinéma (Paris), January 1992. Glaessner, V., Sight and Sound (London), February 1992. Garcia, M., Films in Review (London), May-June 1992. Fortin, P., Séquences (Montreal), September 1992. Younis, R., Cinema Papers (Victoria), October 1992. Sutton, D.S., ‘‘Ritual, History and the Films of Zhang Yimou,’’ in East-West (Honolulu), July 1994. Klawans, S., ‘‘Zhang Yimou,’’ in Film Comment (New York), vol. 31, September-October 1995. Young-Sau Fong, Suzie, ‘‘The Voice of Feminine Madness in Zhang Yimou’s Dahong Denglong Gaogao Gua,” in Asian Cinema (Drexel Hill), Spring 1995. Lee, Joann, ‘‘Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern: Contextual Analysis of Film through a Confucian/Feminist Matrix,’’ in Asian Cinema (Drexel Hill), Spring 1996. Kong, Haili, ‘‘Symbolism through Zhang Yimou’s Subversive Lens in His Early Films,’’ in Asian Cinema (Drexel Hill), Winter 1996–1997. Wei, Y., ‘‘Music and Femininity in Zhang Yimou’s Family Melo￾drama,’’ in CineAction (Toronto), no. 42, 1997. *** Raise the Red Lantern was one of the rare Chinese films success￾fully marketed in America and its success has been ascribed to its exotic formula of a man with five wives and the radiant beauty of the star Gong Li. The film has certainly capped the international reputa￾tion of its director Zhang Yimou and made him the most successful director among the ‘‘Fifth Generation’’ filmmakers (including Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Wu Ziniu) who first made their mark in Chinese cinema in the mid-1980s. Superficially at least, Raise the Red Lantern has all the hallmarks of a sizzling soap-opera melodrama featuring the beautiful Gong Li as the fourth wife of Master Chen, a wealthy, traditionalist husband of the Chinese gentry class. Master Chen’s mansion is divided into four quarters or courtyards—each occupied by one of his wives, who are all enjoined to live harmoniously under one roof. It is a manor dominated by the observance of arcane rituals, family rules and regulations—a central ritual being the hanging of red lanterns in the quarters of the master’s choice of sleeping partner for the night. The plot ingredients of a melodrama come into play as three of the wives—Zhuoyun (the second wife), Meishan (the third wife, an opera singer), and Songlian (the fourth and most recent wife, played by Gong Li),—become rivals for the master’s affections (the first wife being too old to be a serious rival). Zhuoyun is deceptively friendly, showing her true colours in the course of the film, as the most treacherous of the master’s wives. Meishan hides her tragic vulnerability beneath a bitchy, cunning veneer, while Songlian is equally vulnerable but much less equipped to handle the politics of rivalry and jealousy. The object is not only to win the master’s affections but to exert authority over the wider household of other concubines and servants. As a servant says, ‘‘authority is where the lantern is hung.’’ To complicate matters, Songlian’s servant, Yan, has ambitions of her own to become one of the master’s mistresses. Yan taunts Songlian by being mildly rebel￾lious and insolent (going against regulations, she hangs up torn and patched red lanterns in her own room), and informs on her mistress’ activities in Zhuoyun. The story works as a kind of gothic melodrama when Songlian discovers a locked room on the roof of the mansion and is told that it