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Raise the Red Lantern

Original title: Da hong denglong gaogao gua · Turkish title: Kırmızı Fenerler

“China, 1920. One master, four wives.”

1991 · 2 h 5 min
Directed by Zhang Yimou
DramaRomance

Cast

Gong Li He Caifei Ma Jingwu Cao Cuifeng

Credits

Written by: Tong Su

Plot

In the 1920s, nineteen-year-old Songlian becomes the fourth wife of a wealthy master in a vast, walled family compound. She finds herself drawn into the rivalries of the wives, who compete for the master's favour, signalled by the lighting of red lanterns outside the chosen wife's room. Zhang Yimou's 1991 film, with Gong Li, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Sinekatalog’s take

Zhang Yimou's formal, claustrophobic drama follows a young concubine in a 1920s household. Its symmetrical compositions and bold colours enclose the characters in rituals of power.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 8.1 / 10 (38,570 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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