Naomi+Chan- Raise+the+Red+Lantern

Raise the Red Lantern

The film comments on the social injustice prevalent in China in the 1920s and can almost be considered as a criticism against authoritarianism. This idea stems from the fact that throughout the film, Songlian and the other concubines must follow the every wish of Master Chen, the man of the household. However, Master Chen's face is never shown and the audience never gets a clear image of his face, which relates to the idea that authoritarianism has strict authority figures, but no one truly understands who these authority figures are and are forced to blindly follow them. The presence of social inequality is also seen in the relationships between Songlian and the other women. The film also shows the problems involved when there is lack of equality and instead, money disparity within Chinese society, as there were extremely rich people and extremely poor people. All of them have become wives and concubines of Master Chen because of their lower social class and financial difficulties, but Songlian still wishes to distance herself from the others because she considers herself of a higher standing due to her college education. The power struggle amongst the women is shown through the color red, which is a symbol for power throughout the film. This is perhaps most evident through the red lanterns, which are given to a woman and raised whenever Master Chen favorites the women. Within their small courtyard society, winning the red lantern is the most important thing to the women as it shows that they have the most power amongst the other wives. The cinematography is also important in communicating the idea of the presence of an authority figure over the girls. There are numerous high angles and bird's-eye shots in order to communicate that the girls' every move is being watched. There is no escape for them from this presence and Songlian and the wives soon become similar in more ways than just being concubines.
 * Marxist Film Theory**

Although the main characters of the film are women, the film focuses on the idea of the male as the dominant figure and females as the weaker subordinates. The mise-en-scene is especially significant in emphasizing the male gaze and the idea that all women are the same. The set of the film shows every woman with her own courtyard, but all the courtyards look identical, which relates to the idea that to the man, none of them are unique. The women are all just playthings to suit his taste. The blocking of the actors is also central to demonstrating the male gaze. The women are often positioned in the center of the shot so that all the attention is focused on the women. When the characters are in the center of the shot, they capture the audience's attention in order to highlight the significance of the scene. Songlian and the other concubines are also often framed so that they seem as though they are trapped in a box, which can be represented by things such as a room or a patterned wall in the courtyard. This shows that the lives of the women are very structured as they are under the control of Master Chen.
 * Feminist Film Theory**

This theory can be seen by how attached the audience can become to the events that are happening on the screen. The foot massages, which are one of the prizes that the women desire the most, are always accompanied with the diegetic rattling sounds that the foot massage tools make. Although the women enjoy these rattling sounds, they can be at first thought of as unsettling. However, as the movie progresses, this sound becomes more and more anticipated as viewers want Songlian to win the foot massages as well. The sound has a psychological affect both inside and outside the film. The use of cinematography also helps to communicate this theory, especially in the scene where Songlian realizes that the Third Wife has been hanged in the locked room on the roof. The scene is shot from Songlian's shaky POV and the camera is shook quite a lot, a contrast from the previous still and smoothly shot scenes. By using Songlian's POV, the viewers are able to empathize with Songlian and understand why she is so panicked at the moment. Songlian's resistance to becoming like the other concubines reflects how many people tend to want to be original and individualistic, and she is able to earn support as people identify with her need to set herself apart from others.
 * Catharsis and Mimesis Film Theory**