Review of The Red Lantern

There are some movies about lifestyles in China and then there is “Raise the Red Lantern.” The film parallels “The Last Emperor” in how a master controls his subjects within his domain. Out of all the Chinese movies that I have extensively viewed, this was the only one that actually, and effectively, captures the lush background of life during this time period. The film entirely takes place on the grounds of a wealthy master whose …

…downward spiral of the fourth mistress, the movie goes through rapid change where the household in flipped upside down and emotions are thrown around like the balls in a lotto machine. The only downside to this wonderful movie was the indeterminate ending. I felt that I was left with many questions about the fate of the fourth mistress and what happened to the others. Overall, I felt the movie was very interesting and beautifully filmed.