July 8 — Watch one of the best Chinese films ever, “Raise the Red Lantern”
A subtle and complex examination of women and vulnerability in China in the 1920s … no wonder the Chinese censors had such a tough time deciding whether to squash or not.
When: Tuesday July 8, 6:30 PM
Where: Indianapolis Art Center 67th and College Ave. Indianapolis
free and open to the public
Raise the Red Lantern (大红灯笼高高挂) is an award-winning 1991 Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwan film, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. The story of a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during the Warlord Era lends itself to multiple genres: The film is an adaption by Ni Zhen of the 1990 novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong; the film was later adapted into an acclaimed ballet of the same title by the National Ballet of China, directed by Zhang Yimou himself. It is noted for its opulent visuals and sumptuous use of colors.
The film was shot in Qiao’s Compound in the ancient city of Pingyao, in Shanxi Province. Although the screenplay was approved by Chinese censors, the final version of the film was banned in China for a period. Some film critics have interpreted the film as a veiled allegory against Chinese communist authoritarianism. The film’s popularity has also been attributed to helping Chinese tourism after the what was then recent government response to the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989.
It is one of the best reviewed CHinese films ever. See some of the reviews here.
