Raise the Red Lantern / ´óºìµÆÁý¸ß¸ß¹Ò

[David&Wendy]

I have become a fan of the internationally acclaimed director and Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

 

He is the director of the famous film Raise the Red Lantern / ´óºìµÆÁý¸ß¸ß¹Ò. This movie's release date was back in 1991.

Why go back so far into this director's past masterpieces?

Over 15 years has past yet still this movie continues to be listed of many people's essential list of movies to see.

If you Google "Zhang Yimou" movies you will see over 300,000 links while just his name goes into the millions.

Yahoo, Amazon, MSN, New York Times are just a few of the English based sites to praise his works.

 

As Raise the Red Lantern has been widely praised I wanted to see it but finding Chinese films with English subtitles made before 2000 sometimes is a challenge. I discovered Netflix had the recently digitally remastered edition. Luckily the DVD arrived just before Labor Day weekend so we could watch it Saturday night. I agree with every award, nomination and thumbs-up review of this movie.

 

 

To quote Wikipedia, this film "...is noted for its opulent visuals and sumptuous use of colors." I agree. The sets told a story just as much as the actors playing their roles. The architecture was mindbogglingly beautiful yet simple and efficient. We are not shown the entire "house" but only the rooms of where they ate and the 4 mistresses.

 

The interesting or astounding fact to learn was the movie wasn't filmed on a movie studio lot. The movie was filmed at a historic named Qiao's Compound.

 

 

Now to answer the "Why this movie" question?

 

To learn a language is only one part of fluency.

Any person can learn English but in our everyday conversation we speak in a sea of culturally learned "catch phrases" we acquire from the TV shows and movies of our childhood through adult life. Phrases like "Bond...James Bond" or "Asta la vista baby" or "I'll be back" or more recently "infamous cosmic powers... itty bitty living space" to quote the genie from Disney's Aladdin become part of our normal speech.

 

 

I am finding and watching classic Chinese (mainland and Hong Kong) movies to learn more of my wife and my "in-laws" culture and collected life experiences.

 

I hope you enjoy the ride as well.

 

David

[weiaijiayou]

another older zhang yimou movie that is well worth watching is "the story of qiu ju." it's a masterpiece that will alternately move you and make you crack up laughing. it also provides a glimpse into the ideas of "face saving" and stubbornness, and the often ironic results when these factors play themselves out in china.

[Batmaniac]

It's been on my Netflix queue for a while now. Should bump it to the top.

[JonathanM]

I have become a fan of the internationally acclaimed director and Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

 

He is the director of the famous film Raise the Red Lantern / ´óºìµÆÁý¸ß¸ß¹Ò. This movie's release date was back in 1991.

Why go back so far into this director's past masterpieces?

Over 15 years has past yet still this movie continues to be listed of many people's essential list of movies to see.

If you Google "Zhang Yimou" movies you will see over 300,000 links while just his name goes into the millions.

Yahoo, Amazon, MSN, New York Times are just a few of the English based sites to praise his works.

 

As Raise the Red Lantern has been widely praised I wanted to see it but finding Chinese films with English subtitles made before 2000 sometimes is a challenge. I discovered Netflix had the recently digitally remastered edition. Luckily the DVD arrived just before Labor Day weekend so we could watch it Saturday night. I agree with every award, nomination and thumbs-up review of this movie.

 

 

To quote Wikipedia, this film "...is noted for its opulent visuals and sumptuous use of colors." I agree. The sets told a story just as much as the actors playing their roles. The architecture was mindbogglingly beautiful yet simple and efficient. We are not shown the entire "house" but only the rooms of where they ate and the 4 mistresses.

 

The interesting or astounding fact to learn was the movie wasn't filmed on a movie studio lot. The movie was filmed at a historic named Qiao's Compound.

 

 

Now to answer the "Why this movie" question?

 

To learn a language is only one part of fluency.

Any person can learn English but in our everyday conversation we speak in a sea of culturally learned "catch phrases" we acquire from the TV shows and movies of our childhood through adult life. Phrases like "Bond...James Bond" or "Asta la vista baby" or "I'll be back" or more recently "infamous cosmic powers... itty bitty living space" to quote the genie from Disney's Aladdin become part of our normal speech.

 

 

I am finding and watching classic Chinese (mainland and Hong Kong) movies to learn more of my wife and my "in-laws" culture and collected life experiences.

 

I hope you enjoy the ride as well.

 

David

 

 

RTRL is truly a wonderful movie. Another wonderful movie that Zhang Yimou was apart of is "Yellow Earth". A little known film that is a must for any fans of Zhang Yimou and Chinese Cinema. This movie dates back to 1984 and is about a young girl who is forced into a marriage, her family's hardships and a soldier looking for old traditional songs for the Revolution. I am a big fan of old chinese cinema. Great movies, storylines and acting.