I wanted to see this movie as both director and leading lady are among my favourites. And I had an extra reason as well, in September I’ll be travelling through China and we’ll be visiting the area where Raise the Red Lantern was filmed. The city of Pingyao is protected by Unesco and should still have original courtyard houses such as in this movie. I hope so, as the building sure looked beautiful. Then again, Zhang Yimou usually makes things look beautiful :). I loved the views of the house at night, with the lanterns lit up against its blueish roofs. The story was well executed too. I have read similar stories about the power struggles within concubine households before, but it never ceases to scare me a bit. Would I be able to cope with those situations? I already get frustrated by the office politics at work, life as a concubine would pretty much be a nightmare for me I imagine.

After seeing “Hero” I wanted to see some of the other films by Zhang Yimou. In Raise the Red Lantern we see the very formalized story of a woman who is a concubine to a wealthy man and becomes his fourth mistress. As we see the world revealed through her eyes it becomes more and more complex as it moves to an inevitable conclusion. Stunningly beautiful to look at, the film moves at a deliberate and precise pace with complex rhythms and interactions between characters who all seem to be trapped within rules and roles. A fascinating and entertaining film.