Raise the Red Lantern

Very well composed and sad movie. Cinematography was kind of surreal. Very 'closed' movie, felt claustrophobic while watching.

pretty good film. for me, the unusual choices (from a western film perspective) makes it, not just visuals: the distinct architecture, not showing the face of the master, same camera angles, same tunes. it communicates well, how isolated and "in their head" these people are. i haven't seen that many Chinese films and i took this film as a reflection of the political system over there as well which adds another value for me.

A timeless tale of uphill battle of progressivism against society and its blind adherence to tradition. Even those who think they are clever enough to rig the game are very quickly disabused of their notions and are punished more for being a rebel. There's simply no winning and the only way out seems to be is to go insane or die. Shot with a color palette to convey its meaning and capturing imagery full of life in a lifeless location, Raise the Red Lantern hits hard and hits right.

First half is a bit dull, but they're just setting up the pieces. It then unleashes intriguing surprises, though grittier than I expected.

G is for gorgeous, both Gong Li and the cinematography.

good cinematophraphy in raise the red latern