Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

This is one of the jewels of Chinese cinema in the 1990s, a compelling and at times erotic story about the repression of women in 1920s China. It singles out Gong Li's excellent performance as the fourth wife alongside strong support from He Caifei.

The film draws viewers into the sealed, hothouse world of a rich man's household where four wives compete for favor through elaborate rituals and intrigues. Beneath its voluptuous visual beauty and color, it reveals the cruel realities of concubinage and oppression.

The film is a haunting and beautiful study of repression and women's subjugation in a traditional Chinese household, with strong ensemble performances and aesthetic subtlety.

The claustrophobic but richly beautiful film works as political allegory, romantic tragedy or psychological thriller, thanks largely to Gong Li's incredible presence.

The film elicits a sense of déjà vu as Zhang revisits familiar territory of a young woman struggling in an oppressive patriarchal society. It praises the lavish schematic colours, atypical symmetry and stillness of the compositions, and excellent acting.

Zhang Yimou's Oscar-nominated film is one of astonishing beauty and terror with the impact of Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, portraying the systematic oppression of women in a 1920s Northern Chinese nobleman's household. Every frame expresses the narrow, atrophied lives of the wives amid endless power plays and treacherous intrigues.

The critic finds the film a sturdy classic for its sober, still storytelling and rigorous visual compositions that convey melodrama and socio-historical resonance without excess movement. Gong Li's performance and the use of household objects and rituals are singled out for praise, while an unnecessary coda is noted as a flaw.

Zhang Yimou's film is a beautifully crafted, richly detailed drama focused strictly on the women trapped in a feudal household's power struggles and rituals. It blends consciousness-raising themes with the verve of a good soap opera while highlighting instantly familiar figures among the wives and servants.

The critic calls it Zhang Yimou’s master work, praising its beautiful look, haunting themes and sublime performances. The film follows an educated young woman forced into concubinage and the rivalries that ensue among the master’s wives.