Raise The Red Lantern (1991/MGM DVD)
Picture: B- Sound: B- Extras: D Film: A
It's
funny about the word classic: it's attached to so many things today. When
it comes to films, one can rent a DVD of a film whose initial
release was as little as a year previous and find the
distributor/producer has declared it a "Classic" film.
Though MGM has not done so in this case, if ever there was a recent film
deserving of this description it is Raise
the Red Lantern.
The
gorgeous visual palette, in terms of both color and sets, belies the story of a
culture of concubines and slavery; whenever critics have had a problem with
this film, it is with just this issue. The contrast in style and tone, however,
accentuates the story and neither detracts nor denigrates the message.
Set in the 1920's and originally banned in China because of its historical
depiction, Raise the Red Lantern, based
on the novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong, tells the tale of
Songlian (Gong Li), sold as a concubine to be the fourth "wife" of
the master by her mother-in-law, and the house in which she is enslaved.
Patriarchal oppression is the main theme, dramatically underscored by the
method Master Chen (Ma Jingwu) uses to choose each evening's
companion: the hanging of red lanterns outside the chosen wife's house.
Jealousies, petty and not so, are engendered by this ritual, as the First,
Second and Third wives all maneuver to position themselves favorably in the
eyes of the master.
Director
Zhang Yimou's narrative method evokes the simplicity and the power of
folktales in the all-too real milieu of not so distant history. Songlian,
a headstrong, educated woman, quickly learns methods of survival and revenge in
this oppressive insular world of "family." Faking pregnancy for
favored treatment, her ruse is uncovered by her jealous servant and,
amongst the most dramatic visuals of the film, results in the
covering of her lanterns in black cloth to indicate permanent
disfavor. A series of devious plots and counterplots among the wives illustrate
the power game in which they are trapped and the stunning visuals (Zhang Yimou
started as a cinematographer), shot in the ancient city of Pingyao, give a
lush sense of time and place. Integral to the story is a mysterious
shed on the roof, that is rumored to be where unexplained deaths of
women from previous generations have occurred. Before it is over,
deception, murder and, ultimately, madness lead to the inevitable fifth wife.
Zhang
Yimou, who has gone on to worldwide acclaim with the blockbuster films Hero
and House of Flying Daggers, is masterful here, in complete control of all elements
of the cinema experience. The acting is superb, starting with his regular
leading actress, Gong Li; all the wives, the master and servants are exemplary.
A member of China's "Fifth Generation" of filmmakers, Zhang
Yimou's portrayal of a patriarchal society has been viewed by
some as an allegory of the current political climate of China and
this observation certainly cannot be ignored. But like great
literature, great film is art of the highest order and is best taken
on its own terms. This is foremost a fascinating, moving story, told
beautifully, a story whose tragedy resonates as deeply and movingly as Jane
Eyre, Madame Bovary and Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, all of
which have their overarching sociopolitical implications. The banning of
Lantern speaks to the sad fact of its universality, cutting across
cultural and geographic lines and striking very close to home indeed. Its
Academy Award nomination was well deserved.
Perhaps
it is a small quibble, but there are no extras here and there are elements that
would do well with background and contextual information. Films such
as the recent Marco Polo
have needless extras explicating the instantly forgettable. The
unforgettable here, meanwhile, goes unexplained. In truth, the film
stands magnificently on its own. So be it.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is looking good for the format, despite
the slight age of the print, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is a good
approximation of the Dolby A-type analog surround stereo from the theatrical
35mm prints. Some upgrading would be
nice for the Blu-ray edition, an edition that should resolve the Video Red
better than this disc does, but that is the one color even the best HD has not
conquered yet versus film. They can
upgrade it when they decide to add extras next time.
- Don Wentworth
