Raise The Red Lantern Analysis

Raise the Red Lantern

The movie is set in China during the 1920s and 30s right after World War I and

was transitional period in China. The last dynasty had just fallen and new ideas

were starting to emerge. Men, especially men of power and wealth could do no wrong. I feel that

this is a very accurate depiction of China at the time. The movie centers around a 19-year-old girl

who had spent half a year at University. When her father died the step mother agreed to sell her

to this wealthy man who had already three mistress.This modern day educated Chinese girl is

thrown back into the very ancient China with it’s very old traditions. I hate how this highly

educated young girl of

I like how the master’s face was never properly shown

during the entire movie and it gives the feel that this could be every man of power and influence

and wealth in China at the time. The main message that I got from this movie is power and the

lengths that people go to hold onto that power. The whole movie seems to be a big power

struggle and the hierarchy of power in the compound.The master holding power over everyone.

The first wife holding power over the other wives. The wives holding and fighting for power

amongst themselves. And the power being held over the servants heads by some of the

mistresses. The movie also deals with the feelings of women who are the victims of men,

tradition, and money. All the mistresses second-guess orders that they do not like, asking if that

was the masters idea or command.

I learned women could be bought so they were pretty much objects. There was

really no laws in China at the time. There also wasn’t too much music in the movie.The music

that they did-have was quite unsettling, which I believe was its purpose. I found it interesting that the red lanterns are never mentioned in the book and that they were only used in the