My interest was maintained throughout every minute of this rather long film. I don't remember when I've seen another film in which every single role was played to perfection. (Incidentally, this wonderfully believable acting seems to occur in at least some, if not most, of the roles in every Chinese movie I see, from the mainland or otherwise.)

The story is one of classical simplicity, in in large part presented with the same classical, clear quality. The interplay of passion, jealousy, and revenge is reminiscent of Shakespeare, but, for me, more entertaining--if it's proper to speak of such ultimately somber and even horrifying subject matter as entertainment.

I unhesitatingly gave a vote of ten, and noticed that a full 33% of voters so far had done the same--very unusual.

When Roger Ebert called "Raise the Red Lantern" "breathtakingly beautiful," he wasn't exaggerating. But beyond its beauty, its moral seriousness, the fact that not for a moment is it "dumbed down" in the regrettable Hollywood fashion, its superb acting, and its almost unbelievably perfect pacing, make it a rare, rare experience.

"Red Sorghum," the only other Zhang Yimou film I've seen so far, I found somewhat propagandistic but gripping and visually stunning (even more so than "Raise the Red Lantern.") I will be making an effort to see more of this director's fairly extensive body of work.

It's a shame major theater chains don't schedule movies of this caliber instead of the torrent of commercialized Hollywood trash they foist on the public, which, alas, seems only too eager to wallow in more and more of it.

Occasionally, I find that some flicks have ratings so high that I can't understand WHY the movies have gotten this much positive acclaim. RAISE THE RED LANTERN is one of them. While good, it is not great and is certainly not among the best foreign films (or Chinese films for that matter). Furthermore, it is extremely depressing and left me feeling unfulfilled, though that just goes with the subject matter.

The photography is good, acting is fine--there is NOTHING really negative to say--only that the movie is just slightly above average. This was, by the way, my reaction to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon--another film with excellent reviews that just seemed OKAY.

Songlian (Gong Li) is 19 year old having spent 6 months in university. After her father's death, she's berated by her stepmother into finding a rich man to marry. She is relegated to be the fourth wive to the powerful Chen Zuoqian. Each wive lives in her own identical separate house within the large compound. The wives scheme to keep the attention of the master. Each night, a red lit lantern is placed in front of the house of the wive that Chen intends to spend the night with. Songlian is given Yan'er as her maid who hates her and is having relations with the master. The first wive is ancient and resigned. The second wife seems friendly on the surface. The third wife is an opera singer.

The cinematography is beautiful as well as the exotic setting. Li Gong is one of the most expressive actresses ever to come out of China. She creates a character that is not a simple damsel in distress. She is caught in a machine of institutionalized desperation. This is one of great movies that ushers in a new era of Chinese filmmaking.