Raise the Red Lantern (1990) Explained | Film Analysis

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Mint Volcano

Mint Volcano

Күн бұрын

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@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
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@janedoe5229
@janedoe5229 Жыл бұрын
I am a woman, so I saw this from a woman's perspective. I don't think our herione came from a poor home. Her father has money and was getting her an education. Then he died and his wife, her stepmother, didn't want to spend the money on her anymore. She wanted to keep it for herself. So the easiest solution was to unload her by marrying her off to someone wealthy, so the stepmother could wash her hands of her. and keep the money. Wife #1 was probably the husband's bride in his youth. Maybe even a childhood sweetheart. You know how young love is: so trusting, so believing. She had a son, and you know, bodies change. She was getting older and less beautiful. Then he brought in Wife #2. She was young and fresh with a happy face, happy eyes. #1 could not compete with a young, fun, happy wife. I am sure #1's heart was broken. What could she do? And the more wives came, she just resolved to make the best of bad situation. She opted for lots of servants to wait on her and make her empty life bearable. But #2 started to get older and plump, and now the husband had enough money to "afford" a celebrity. She was younger still, beautiful, glamorous, cultured, and talented. #2 with the laughing smile and eyes could not compete with a glamorous celebrity. Now #2 had reason to hate. And of course, the husband eventually got bored even with #3, and wanted to try "Something new": #4: an educated girl. Of course #2 would be friends with #4 because she is the new nemesis of #3. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". And #1 said to #4 "How old are you? 19? Such sins". She is young enough to be his daughter. When it was discovered that #3 committed adultery, now #2 had her chance to get rid of her. She RAN to #1, and #1 was happy to kill her. I am sure #1 hated all of them. And the servant girl. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? She was plain and the husband could have her whenever he wanted. He didn't need to elevate her to "wife". He could cheat on all four wives and have no consequences. He said, "Be sure to give her the best medicine. We don't want people saying we mistreat our servants". He did not care one iota if the servant died. He cared about what people thought of him. Likewise, they cared about the doctor whose reputation was ruined, not the #3 who lost her life. And then he brings in #5. A child. A little girl. A girl who has no comprehension of the nest of scorpions that she is in. I don't think #2 ever "loved" the husband. She did her best to play the game, and when she saw it was unwinnable, she realized she was in a prison, and stopped playing. As a woman, that is how I saw it.
@pinkdolly
@pinkdolly 2 жыл бұрын
My high school drama teacher showed me this movie and I have never forgotten it. I’m glad someone else appreciates it because I never hear anyone talking about it
@trueblueedits4673
@trueblueedits4673 3 жыл бұрын
Mei Shan honestly is one of the most tragic characters ever. She started out seeming like a stuck up, self-interested woman, but then we realize that she's the only one who even attempts to truly relate to Song Lian and is very aware of the power structure and how the women are pitted against each other (she even empathizes with Yan'er, telling Song Lian that she was only fantasizing about being a mistress and there's no harm in that). They are very similar in many ways, particularly in that they had to give up their previous lives in order to join the rich household. Mei Shan has a dialogue with Song Lian shortly before she was killed about how life is just play-acting. For women in their circumstance, their life really is all just a play, a struggle to get attention from the patriarch by being what he desires. In a morbid sense, her death and to a lesser extent, Song Lian's insanity, liberated them from the control of the patriarch and his household. When Song Lian played Mei Shan's recording after she died, it kind of gave me the sense that Mei Shan died being who she is and doing what she loved as an artist: Not being stifled by the confining rules of society.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
Yes one can really only sympathise with Mei Shan. She was a product of tragic circumstances. Sadly chinese history is littered with these stories. Nothing good could have come from forcing women to compete with each other over one man and the status and comfort his attention brings, other than that man's self satisfaction if he is that egotistical. The scheming in modern Chinese dramas like Yanxi Palace has a long and tragic history rooted in reality. To sit back and let everyone else walk all over you, condemning you to a life of solitary confinement and loneliness with other lonely, old, abandoned women who were often not even truly your friends (and no children as one needs the man's attention for that, and even if you had a child, you would have no custody or even interaction with your own child if you weren't favoured enough. Imperial princes were taught to call the empress "mum"), is simply not a choice many people would have made without a fight. Imagine all the capable women lost to these circumstances who could have made a positive impact on society.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
I like your interpretation of Mei Shan's character.
@trueblueedits4673
@trueblueedits4673 2 жыл бұрын
@@Kateyangyuqing This is great! I love it when people really take the time to think and analyze. It really shows a lot about the past and who we are as people.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
@@trueblueedits4673 Same to you! I loved reading your analysis of Mei Shan's character. It was really interesting, enlightening, and well thought through. I think that's when you know a piece of art (regardless of medium) is really good - when it gives you a lot to think about and talk about.
@trueblueedits4673
@trueblueedits4673 2 жыл бұрын
@@Kateyangyuqing couldn't agree with your point about art more ♥
@emmajane646
@emmajane646 Жыл бұрын
Yes I agree with your breakdown. Another interesting note is that the film also reveals the different responses to totalitarian regimes/dictatorship/cults that people have. Mistress 1) doesn't believe but is resigned and doesn't complain Mistress 2) doesn't believe but plays the game and becomes complicit/evil Mistress 3) tries to rebel but ends up dying Mistress 4) tries to rebel but goes mad Servant girl) true believer but dies because of her faith in the regime
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
This is a spot on observation thanks for sharing!
@emmajane646
@emmajane646 Жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano It was God who showed me this so I shouldn't get the glory. I know about these things as I will hopefully be setting up a ministry soon to help people come out of cults and abusive relationships. I don't watch many films anymore despite having a film degree. I find a lot of films very disturbing and unpleasant to watch. This film was very hard to watch as I was raised in a family that was cultish in its ways and also had abusive relationships which I call 'a cult of two'. They are all the same. The same thing happens with addictions too. That is why the first 'hit' is always free, that's all it takes to get the monkey on someone's back. Once you know these things, you can stay out and be freed from all of them : oppressive regimes, cults, abusive relationships/families, addictions.. the lot. It is all spiritual in nature you see. The battle is real. God bless.
@cosmiccrush22
@cosmiccrush22 Жыл бұрын
I just watched this, someone in the ty comments recommended it to me, it was good, came out the year I was born go figure, excellent observation, those women really had it tough
@carterclucas3222
@carterclucas3222 Жыл бұрын
Great, deeply considering analysis of what is one of my favourite films. Yesterday, I started rewatching all of Zhang Yi-Mou’s accessible work to celebrate getting into film school! I discovered your channel a little over a year ago and since then, I have loved hearing your thoughts on films I have already loved and have been introduced to many amazing pieces of art by your recommendation. As I just got into film school yesterday, I have been thinking about all the people who have inspired and help me along the way, and I am glad to say that you are one of them. The work you do means a lot to me, so I just wanted to sincerely thank you. I hope you never stop making films and celebrating the beauty that is Chinese, and Asian Cinema in general. Keep them jeans high and tight! And never stop feathering it brother!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Congrats on getting in to film school mommy! That’s damn cool.
@LS-xb4uh
@LS-xb4uh 4 ай бұрын
Watched it for the first time. Amazing. Reminds me of a time when movies really meant something to me. Sadly they don’t anymore. I remember art films and the smaller theaters that showed them. Made me feel more sophisticated! I was a Midwestern girl with more refined tastes, or so I thought. I need to set aside time for more movie nights for works of art like this. It’s a lovely, transporting experience I’d forgotten about.
@e.jenima7263
@e.jenima7263 2 жыл бұрын
I think to understand this film a bit better we must understand traditional Chinese society and know something of the book. for a start Songlian (Lotus) in the book and the film was not forced to marry she chose to become a concubine because .......as revealed in the Book she did not want to go and work fora living so she chose willingly to become a concubine to rich man and be supported in grate comfort and ease for the rest of her life .after her beloved father's tea Business failed and the families fortune was in tatters ,he subsequently committed suicide by slitting his wrists. what we do not see in this is that sunglien AKA Lotus also met her future husband a few times before agreeing to become his wife. In the book she met him in a tea shop and ordered a cake with candles and told him it was her birthday ( her 19;th) it is also indicted they were acquainted before hand allso in the book she did neither have a elaborate wedding seddan come to meet her and she did not walk but she was brought to the mansion by a simple Bamboo sedan chair and the servants at first laughed at her and mocked her thinking she was one of the family's poor relations. Other details that were changed or left out or ignored( aside from all the wives names) which were if i remember correctly Jade, Cloud, Coral and then of course Lotus the story is actually set in the 1930's not the 20's u can tell because both in the film and book the women are mentioned to be wearing chum Sangs at times...a dress that was not invented and did not become popular until the 30's in China, the masters eldest son is very likely gay , the family although it is rich is not nearly as rich as it had been about 45-50 years earlier as conveyed by the elderly maid assigned to Lotus after Yarr's death .Yarr died by what we assume was Typhoid poisoning caused by Lotus shoving a pice of soiled toilet tissue into Yarr's mouth that yarr had used to draw in menstrual blood a very crude picture of lotus not by hypothermia as was portrayed in the film. Oh And Yarr allso haunting Sunglian after her death appearing as a ghoul showing up at night to lotus as a semi emaciated caddaver wearing a tacky wig and dress and saying some freaky shit like "the God of death has many Pretty things" . It is also revealed by the Elderly maid who later takes on the duties of personal maid, to Lotus one night in idle conversation over candlelight the fate of the past adulterous concubines one of which the maid knew in her younger days and it was said she had a affair with a traveling noodle maker of all people .The other concubine who was killed she admitted she did not know because she died a few years before she entered service at the house and anybody that did know of her deeds was ither dead or was forbidden to speak about them. And unlike the film adulterous wives were not forced to hang themselves in "The House of death" but forced to jump in a well that was set aside for the purpose. In the book at the very end unlike the film Lotus does not look like a Stereotypical mad women in her school girl uniform she in fact at first glance looks very Normal and well dressed in fine silks but on closer inspection her behavior is a bit unusual .Mei shan's (Coral ) I think her name was in the book her death really fucked her up and the book closes with lotus babbling and walking neer to the well presumably for the rest of her life ...(or at least until the red army would arrive some 20 years later we guess) muttering and babbling to herself like a child "I will not jump in, Lotus will not jump in , lotus will not jump into the well never .....no ,lotus will not jump into the well" when another character a servant asks why they think she went mad being that many did not fully understand or know why or how fond and close lotus had become to the 3'd mistress they responded by saying "The Fox Morns the hair" I read raise the red lantern AKA Wives and concubines after i saw the film because I loved it so much and wanted more and despite the differences and things that were left out of the film despite it would have made some things make much more sense if they had included more of the sorce material I love both equally. the book (A Novella is only about 99 pages and worth the read. I allso read Opium family which was written by the same author...allso under 100 pages a story which recounted the fall of a morally dubious wealthy landowning family who produced opium and withered and died out at the hands of the very flower that made them rich and the winds of change ,madness moral depravity, greed and revolution. so not very light hatred reading but good and well Wrighten .
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo 2 жыл бұрын
I agree with you. this whole film review is so far fetched.
@PungiFungi
@PungiFungi 2 жыл бұрын
You are right, Songlian in the movie was not "sold" into marriage, and I do not think any of the other wives were forced to marry the patriarch of the house either. Someone in an Amazon review of the movie did made an observation that some women would willingly be the third, fourth of even fifth wife of a rich man rather than the first and only wife of a man not so well to do. This set up only benefit men with money, not men of the lower working class at all.
@HingYok
@HingYok Ай бұрын
Just some cultural background information here: 1. Traditionally, brides arrived in sedans. So it's very unusual that Songlian arrived at the Chen's on her own. The Chens did send a sedan but she did not take it, which could be an indication that these old "customs" did not mean much to her at that time. Nevertheless, in the course of the story, as "customs" or "rules" have been repeated, she had benifitted and suffered from these rules. Before she knew it, she herself also fell for them. 2. Maids could be married by their masters, contrary to what's been said in the film. This explains the maid's daydream and hostility. It's either the Chens' household rules or Mr. Chen's personal reason that he did not marry the maid. 3. The background music with cymbals, especially at the scenes where the wife and the concubines wait for their husband's decision, is common for fighting scenes in Chinese operas including Taiwanese opera. To me, this could be a symbol of the concubines' fight for the husband or power. 4. (I learned this from other Chinese videos about the movie. The commentator sure knows more about Chinese operas than me.) The sections of Chinese opera Meishan sang and the stories behind them imply what might happen and Songlian's situation. 5. Traditionally, sons got better treatment than daughters. Mothers who gave birth to sons would also be treated better than mothers who gave birth to daughters. Ranks among siblings were also important: youngers could not disobey elders; elder sons got better chance of inheriting family wealth than younger sons. Daughters usually didn't get a penny because after marriage they no longer belonged to the family. This explains why the wife was able to stay out of the fights (her son had grown up and was already running business) and why Zhuoyun wanted to sabotage Meishan when they both got pregnant. 6. In Chinese culture, red is a color for celebrations, whereas white is the color for funerals. Spring is regarded as the season of birth, growth and life. In the winter section we see snow and deaths of Yan'er (the maid) and Meishan. A lot of commentating videos in Chinese have interpreted the absence of a spring section as "lack of hope in the Chen household," which I agree: once you're in the house, you're in the game. Even if you win, there will always be a new concubine to take your place. Therefore, there is no winner. It all depends on the husband's preference. 7. Wives were usually of a higher position than concubines. They were also responsible for household issues. This also partly explains why the wife can stay out of the fight and why the decision for Yan'er's punishment rests with her.
@MrVoodemar
@MrVoodemar Жыл бұрын
I don't read too much into it politically, just saw this movie, I think it's great, and it's a deep movie about human relationships under specific circumstances, and above all it's about jealousy... on the other level it's a powerful movie about patriarchy
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
I agree that it is also about all of those thing, probably mostly about all of those things, that’s why I think it’s such a great movie there are so many levels on which it can be enjoyed. Thanks for watching the review ☺️
@MrVoodemar
@MrVoodemar Жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano "Red Lantern" reminded me of my fave Bergman's movie "Cries & Whispers"; there are a few similar patterns: only one setting with red as a dominant color, "three sisters", a doctor, the mid-sister dies, in "Red Lantern" the first wife works as a reclusive observer, in "Cries" it's a maid
@mari-greciaodal2436
@mari-greciaodal2436 Жыл бұрын
Toward the end of the movie Mei Shan yells over and over; "murderers murderers murderers! she hasn't yet realized that she's a murderer too. After all, she's betrayed the "artist character, by having told the sneaky, malicious character (2nd wife) about the affair the artist, (3rd wife) was carrying on with the doctor. When she finally realizes that she'd betrayed her only friend, the artist, she comes to awaken that by having told the secret of the affair, she alone caused the artist to be killed. It was at this point of realization, that she was the one first responsible for the tragedy, she submits herself into complete irreversible madness, When first discovering the death of the wife, the artist, she realizes she's been a murderer too. I have watched this masterpiece of a movie, all of 5 times, and have been hooked into watching it again and again. This movie is an irresistible drug!
@crispma1995
@crispma1995 Жыл бұрын
Her name is Song Lian not Mei Shan,Song Lian is the 4th wife and Mei Shan is the 3rd wife which has been murdered by her husband
@mart-greciaOdalyz
@mart-greciaOdalyz 11 ай бұрын
Why, thank you! 9 months after watching it, more than once, you've just reminded me to watch it again.🙏
@mart-greciaOdalyz
@mart-greciaOdalyz 11 ай бұрын
thank you for this information!@@crispma1995
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
That was a really intelligent and thoughtful analysis. I had not thought of it in this paradigm at all. This is why I love art and literature. There is so much genius expressed in a way that gives you so much food for thought.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I agree with you and I also love how art can inspire multiple interpretations, taking on a new meaning with its audience, maybe even beyond what the artist intended.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano YESSSS I LOVE IT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE THINKS THIS WAY!!! Art is not just about the artist's intentions - I would argue it's just as much about the consumer's interpretation too! Art that gives you plenty of food for thought and gives rise to lots of interpretations and discussion is often the most interesting!
@mnirwin5112
@mnirwin5112 2 жыл бұрын
I would love to find the book but it would have to be in English ... I am very grateful to whoever posted the movie online with the option of English subtitles. I first saw it years ago on TV and was so glad to find it on KZbin.
@xtradelite903
@xtradelite903 2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant how they show Gong Li going crazy in the house, as she walks back and forth.
@rdrevilone
@rdrevilone Жыл бұрын
Thank you for making me realize that a awesome movie like this isnt made without an intended point and reason
@NarnianLady
@NarnianLady Жыл бұрын
It was an interesting story for sure, but extremely sad.. On so many levels. It has been the way for women for thousands of years. To compare this story with today's politics seems really a stretch .. the color red has been an important color in China way before the Communist party's rule. The cultural revolution connection though does make sense: the artists and intellectuals definitely were betrayed and thrown under the bus by the peasant class.
@helenleeminchin3341
@helenleeminchin3341 Жыл бұрын
Wow ! Profound abstract analysis of this film. It gives depth to the story. Interesting ! Thank you.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching the channel 😊
@valve6642
@valve6642 Жыл бұрын
The BEST analysis! Thank you!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Glad you think so! Thanks for watching!
@pancakesnailgurl3874
@pancakesnailgurl3874 9 ай бұрын
I’ve watched the film so many times It always makes me cry because in the end it’s basically a prison of no way out after she saw the execution of one of the wives …. She’s trapped and can’t get out , this movie is powerful and well done 👍
@Mrs.miriam
@Mrs.miriam 2 жыл бұрын
I don't think there was an intended allegory from this film. The wives are portrayed based on different personalities of women. As the setting is in 1920s, Chinese feudalism is still being practised although it was waning.thus the master being the household patriarch is the lord of the house and women's status is low since women can be bought as mistresses or concubines. Ong zhangyimou's films,this is my most favorite one
@doggolovescheese1310
@doggolovescheese1310 5 ай бұрын
One of my favorites too, watched it as a kid and fell in love with deep foreign films especially chines theatre. So deep tragic and profound The collected stories by the author this movie is based on is equally profound.
@youtuber5305
@youtuber5305 2 жыл бұрын
This 2022 article which mentions RAISE THE RED LANTERN may be of interest: "Movies Which Explore the Consequences Borne by People Removed From Traditional Group Norms"
@jennifersinclair5988
@jennifersinclair5988 3 жыл бұрын
Hi, I enjoyed this. I don't really like the idea of such precise analogies, and I didn't think about any of what you said during the film, but it does make sense. It was a beautiful and haunting movie - I kind of thought about other films like Black Swan or Hereditary that have the same claustrophobic settings. It has more to do with the position of women, specifically, in this feudal set-up - I get that from the prologue. But it is coldly about power rather than sexual or romantic jealousy. It is interesting to think about it as you've explained. And yes, please do make more videos.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jennifer! Thanks for the comment! You’re probably right, it’s unlikely that the “meaning” is as precise as I laid out in the video but I love what you said about positions of power and I think that’s why I get the strong sense this film is a political allegory of some kind. Black Swam and Hereditary are interesting comparisons, I never thought of RTRL as a horror film but I suppose it could definitely be one! Especially with it’s creepy ending!
@jennifersinclair5988
@jennifersinclair5988 2 жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano Not the genre as horror, but the claustrophobic set. Anyway, thanks so much for making this video, I hope you make more.
@DellaStreet123
@DellaStreet123 5 ай бұрын
Interesting take on the movie. What I might disagree with is your death house vs the revolution analogy. Technically, we don't know when and under what circumstances the woman whose slippers Songlian saw through the keyhole was hanged or hanged herself. Master Chen says that, in past generations, women hanged themselves there. It may not have been a bold-faced lie after all. There's a lot of unhappiness going on on the Chen estate, and Songlian ends up insane. One of her predecessors might have gone insane and hanged herself there. Also, if, before the arrival of Songlian, Master Chen already had one of his wives hanged there, it was likely because of adultery. It seems like this is the only offense in the household that is punished by execution. Songlian is not executed for faking a pregnancy, and not for acting out in the end, either. Given the nature of the punishment, not too many women would have attempted it. Also, who could the previous wife have cheated with? And where? Meishan had earned herself some privileges by giving birth to a son the Master was very fond of, and because the Master liked her as an artist. And perhaps her love-making skills, too. (In the book, Chen favors Zhuoyun in that regard, though.) She was allowed to leave the estate without the Master, and she made use of that for a tryst in a hotel. This way or another, the wives living on the estate avoid the death house and act like it doesn't exist, an act of emotional self-defense. In Communist China, all classes were constantly reminded of the revolution, it was always at the center of attention (the death house is somewhere on the sideline, barely visible from Songlian's back yard) and I think members of all classes cherished it in some way, something you cannot say about the death house. Well, perhaps Zhuoyun, because it serves as a means to her goal when it comes to eliminating Meishan, but I think it speaks for itself that she goes back into her house once she sees Meishan being carried there (to her satisfaction) and closes her eyes to the dirty work that is about to happen there. In this regard, the death chamber is to her what the abbatoir is to typical meat-eaters. They would never go there, they could never do the dirty work themselves, but they appreciate what is done there for them. -- I like your Yaner vs the peasants in Communist China analogy. Yaner actually is literally a peasant...and one of the most miserable characters in the story. What is interesting is that while she seeks the favors of Master Chen and wants to be more than an occassional mistress, she rebels against him by secretly lighting lanterns in her quarters. Her being punished by Yuru in the movie (in the book, Songlian tortures her to death by making her eat used toilet paper) fits your Yuru vs government officials analogy, though. What is interesting that while Songlian avenges herself on Yaner consciously (both in the book and in the movie), she betrays Meishan by negligence. In the movie, she is drunk, and in both the movie and the book she is not aware of what kind of punishment Meishan is to expect if she were to be caught.
@MH-ms1dg
@MH-ms1dg Жыл бұрын
The complete lack of nature was notable too It’s the biggest red flag that the set is not “truly Chinese”, and instead signifies something more sinister, mocking, and demonic (rich Chinese love nature in their gardens)
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
That’s a cool detail, I think you’re onto something
@miramuchachito296
@miramuchachito296 2 жыл бұрын
There must be something special about you This is the only video i found analizing this master piece in YT. New subscriber here!
@miramuchachito296
@miramuchachito296 2 жыл бұрын
By the way, i absolutely love this film since i saw it 25 years ago. In France was called "Epouses et Concubines" a terrible name.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I love this film too and recommend it to everyone ;)
@happybeans4960
@happybeans4960 2 жыл бұрын
I do think that Songlian’s family wasn’t that poor (at least they could afford to send her to college, until her father’s death). What Songlian brings to the family, something unique about her, is that she, unlike the other wives, has been educated. This was raised by the Master on their first night as well (“an educated woman is different”). With her repeated rebellions against old traditions and attempt to disregard the rules of the household, I think that Songlian brings with her this new ideals into an ancient, heavily traditional and rigid household. She attempts to challenge the system but ultimately fails tragically.
@happybeans4960
@happybeans4960 2 жыл бұрын
I like your analysis relating to the cultural revolution which gave Songlian’s uniform a deeper meaning. It’s an interesting perspective aside from the theme of tyrannical patriarchy.
@fuanasantuary1277
@fuanasantuary1277 2 жыл бұрын
@@happybeans4960 wasn't the cultural revolution started much later.
@StevenHarris-xs7nj
@StevenHarris-xs7nj Жыл бұрын
@@happybeans4960 tell me pray, what was the cultural revolution about if not preventing the return to class hierarchy in the guise of party aparatchiki--a revolution which clearly failed to prevent the return of the 'the new mandarins?
@fjpereirap
@fjpereirap 2 жыл бұрын
I just watched this film and I think this is quite an interesting interpretation of this one. I really loved this movie, a bit tragic though, but the symbolism and the way the story is told is amazing. Thanks very much, keep up the good work mate!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for watching the review ;)
@marylee8372
@marylee8372 Жыл бұрын
Yes, I want to see more of your film analysis. I just subscribed. 👍
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
thank you 🙏 more coming soon!
@andreabandirali9979
@andreabandirali9979 2 жыл бұрын
Watched the movie last night, and after your video now it all makes sense. Keep it up!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! Glad it helped :)
@ArcticZombie
@ArcticZombie 2 жыл бұрын
Pretty interesting take on the wives. I didn't interpret it that way but I can definitely see where you're coming from. Nice video 👌
@ksenisa3315
@ksenisa3315 3 жыл бұрын
Please do more of such videos, this is indeed an intriguing perspective! One thing I would like to add is that I am not exactly sure about your take (if I got it right of course) on Gong Li’s character revealing the secret: the woman was drunk and regretted saying those things immediately. I feel that she did it not to undermine the singer but out of helplessness of not knowing how to behave and essentially to live in such an authoritarian environment where it is impossible to understand the desire of the figure of Power, and one can only unconditionally obey with having no desires of their own. Well, it sure does look like the logic of certain authoritarian (or should I say totalitarian?) states, thank you for pointing this out!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
That’s a good note! I think this fits with theory because a lot of the students who participated in the cultural revolution were just angry and confused and didn’t consider the broader implications of their actions
@kangaroocoffin7049
@kangaroocoffin7049 Жыл бұрын
Watched this today. Easy 10/10 great analysis
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
It’s really a great film
@shivadizayin
@shivadizayin Жыл бұрын
Top Flick. Remember it when it first came out. Very tragic ending though.
@mariacastro2682
@mariacastro2682 Жыл бұрын
No politics here..this is a representation that ALL women are subject to this treatment..and the horrors that arise because of it..the jealousy,anger,the emptiness..only a man who’s never lived as a woman especially a Chinese woman who are even today “devalued “because they are female..you miss the point.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
I think a movie can be about more than one thing at a time don’t you
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
For example one interpretation of “The Banshees of Inisherin” is that the interpersonal conflict is a metaphor for the troubles in Ireland, I don’t think it takes away from the impact or statement on personal conflict in that film to point out the allusion to the political conflict. I think a good metaphor works on multiple layers, if the first layer isn’t impactful and real then the political statement would feel hallow but because, as you stated, women are really subjected to horrible treatment it would make any political metaphor connected to that idea that much more powerful, which is personally why I think Raise the Red Lantern is such a brilliant film, it’s because the personal conflict between the man and his abused wives is so well displayed, not in-spite of it. I wasn’t trying to devalue that aspect of the film with this interpretation, just add to it. It’s unfortunate that that didn’t come across.
@carolvanleer3386
@carolvanleer3386 Жыл бұрын
This movie was mesmerizing to watch. I enjoyed your interpretation.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching!
@Odes1Angel
@Odes1Angel Жыл бұрын
The Master having a dead wife before Songlian doesn't make sense. At the end, when the new wife comes to the house she is referred to as "Fifth Mistress". When the opera singer wife died, she was still considered "Third Mistress". Songlian would have been considered 5th had there been others before her.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Yes it’s a mistake I made in the review that others have pointed out, the death that happened in this room was of a wife of a previous generation not this specific master
@gbona90
@gbona90 2 жыл бұрын
Nice analysis and insight! I always loved this movie but never thought about a correlation to the Chinese history. Great job!
@NatyRocke
@NatyRocke 2 жыл бұрын
I really appreciate this analysis! I just watched Raise the Red Lantern for the first time. This was my first Zhang Yimou film and the first time I’ve ever delved into Asian cinema. I was very intrigued by the film and glad for your explanation. I’m really tempted to purchase that Zhang Yimou & Gong Li set and diving head first. Have you seen that and would you recommend?
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Definitely check out “To Live” ! Thats a must watch
@edwardduarte7393
@edwardduarte7393 26 күн бұрын
Shanghai triad is good. Ju Du. Is good but raise the red lantern got nominated for an Oscar. I saw this in the theater. Miramax distributed all of these films. If that means anything.
@esrasees
@esrasees Жыл бұрын
Wow great analysis
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching and commenting :)
@angelsbecca
@angelsbecca Жыл бұрын
Yes, I see . I just saw it as a historical movie. You can dig deep .. I love the movie TO LIVE..
@paecpc
@paecpc Жыл бұрын
A political mind will break down this movie in this way, interesting how people look things in different way.
@22suezann
@22suezann Жыл бұрын
😮really enjoyed your analysis
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Thank you! There’s more where that came from 😆
@kh884488
@kh884488 2 жыл бұрын
I think you're making too much of the film. The women just want to claim the foot massages for themselves. Just kidding! This is an excellent interpretation of this story. Non Chinese audiences that live in societies where freedom of speech is taken for granted may be inclined to take this film at face value, but it is important for them to realize that criticism of the ruling government can only be reasonably safely accomplished within the context of a historical drama. One thing I like a lot is the compound within which nearly all of the film is shot. It takes on a a cold, impersonal prison like quality all its own. The only significant color is the color red which is the very color to symbolize control and manipulation.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Haha 😂 you definitely got me.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
In China if you want to express an opinion you have to do it in a REALLY veiled way. People have opinions like they do anywhere else, but it's discouraged, and few people will openly talk about anything too controversial for their obvious safety. For those who want to express their opinions, art and subtlety is the only way, so you can get some really brilliant works like this movie
@vanamq2459
@vanamq2459 3 жыл бұрын
Interesting interpretation, the translation in the version I saw said that the "killing room" was actually used by one of the masters ancestors, avoided by everyone but still used as a warning to obey the master or death will come, but not one of the present masters wives. I'd like to hear your take on my favorite Gong Li films Shanghai Triad or Curse of the Golden Flower, Shanghai Triad is my favorite
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo 2 жыл бұрын
you are right. the master didnt had his previous concubine killed.
@yoyo762
@yoyo762 Жыл бұрын
The killing room was there to avoid a bastard child becoming the wealthy masters child. He was not going to take a chance 3rd sister got pregnant from the Dr.
@AngeliqueTraveler
@AngeliqueTraveler 9 ай бұрын
I don’t believe that this storyline is an allegory of Chinese politics.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 9 ай бұрын
Probably true, many people share that opinion. However one of the great things about art is that once it’s given to the audience we are able to interpret it and find our own meaning 🙂
@AngeliqueTraveler
@AngeliqueTraveler 9 ай бұрын
@@MintVolcano I’m ok with interpretation of art but the premise of this film is firmly in cultural and/or human archetypal injustices, infighting in a polygamous household, emotional manipulation, and social class structure under the guise of tradition in rural China. It’s an epic film by one of the best filmmakers on the planet.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 9 ай бұрын
@@AngeliqueTraveler I completely agree with all of that, I just believe that archetypical injustices can also be mapped onto the structure of totalitarian regimes 😉 and I don’t think it takes away from those points to try to bring in more varied interpretations, it just makes the film deeper. At least that’s what I think.
@Kosmonooit
@Kosmonooit Жыл бұрын
Interesting take .. just watched the film today.
@redxiii_
@redxiii_ 3 жыл бұрын
Your insights made me realize and understand the movie and the Chinese Communist Party better. Great work here! I'm from the Philippines by the way.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
@loudspeakers3469
@loudspeakers3469 2 жыл бұрын
I really liked this movie. I'm not sure whether Zhang Yimou intended to criticize the Chinese government with this movie. But your ideas definitely hold water and they made me look at the movie in another way 🙂
@a765842
@a765842 3 жыл бұрын
Thank u for doing this video!👍
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching it :)
@tallulahjack913
@tallulahjack913 Жыл бұрын
That’s a weird way to look at it…but each to his own.
@ЛейлаДаудМансори
@ЛейлаДаудМансори Жыл бұрын
Hi. Do you accept requests for which movies to review? I really liked your review here, I would love if you could do another for a movie from the same director.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Certainly! Do you have a movie in mind or do you just want to see more reviews of jiangyimou films?
@ЛейлаДаудМансори
@ЛейлаДаудМансори Жыл бұрын
I recently rediscovered his movies (I remember them from my childhood) and just now found about him and released how even more awesome they are. I was thinking House of Flying Daggers if you want to. While Hero is my favourite Asian film, it's far more complex compared to HoFD even at first glance in my opinion. Plus, no one talks about his other films that much, and because your analysis of RtRL was amazing, I am interested in you doing the same for HoFD.
@HingYok
@HingYok Ай бұрын
There seems to be an issue with your microphone... It keeps going on and off.
@guscloney3972
@guscloney3972 2 жыл бұрын
very helpful thank you
@Roman1995.
@Roman1995. 3 жыл бұрын
Awesome video mate👍
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@askchristyle741
@askchristyle741 11 ай бұрын
I really liked this movie!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 11 ай бұрын
It’s fantastic!
@johnmonk3381
@johnmonk3381 Жыл бұрын
The master of the household already had 3 "current" wives not previous ones
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Yes, What I meant by the word previous was that he had “previously” married 3 women - the implication being that he was still married to them but I can see how using the word previous is a little confusing. I should have used the word “already” , thanks for the comment
@maixiong9113
@maixiong9113 Жыл бұрын
I think i get it they represent the communist flag the 4 wives represent the 4 small stars ( the people class) the working class , the peasants, the urban petite bourgeoisie and the national bourgeoisie. The big star represent the cpc.
@petitnicollas
@petitnicollas 2 жыл бұрын
The long static shots reminded me Hou Hsiao Hsen, which is one of the producers of this movie
@its99pm
@its99pm 3 жыл бұрын
What's going on with the audio in this video? Really interesting tho, it gave me more insight into one of my favorite films.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 3 жыл бұрын
filmed this one quickly in my apartment because inspiration struck so I’m still experimenting with the set up in there, glad you found out the information useful though!
@etheldames9009
@etheldames9009 Жыл бұрын
I enjoyed your review, would like to see more movies. I thought it was a excellent movie
@miriamtiuseco2nd
@miriamtiuseco2nd 2 жыл бұрын
I wonder if zhangyimou got the inspiration to do this movie"raise the red lantern" from a real chinese history scene that happened in a certain dynasty( forgot which one) in which the mad wacky emperor rode on a goat driven cart? And he will visit the concubine when the goat stopped on the outside of her residence.
@varunya.b
@varunya.b 9 ай бұрын
love your critics❤
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 9 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@tresawilkins7159
@tresawilkins7159 Жыл бұрын
Looks like what's currently happening all around us. Or at least a shadow of it.
@philbecker4676
@philbecker4676 2 жыл бұрын
Interesting review but you made quite a big mistake in the plot. At no point in the book or the film is it implied the Master had one of his wives killed, it was a wife (or wives) from several generations ago. The book is more explicit about that though. And leading on from that Yan'er isn't specifically dreaming about taking the place of a wife, she just daydreams about being a mistress instead of a servant and is defiant about it because the Master fondles her boobs. Also in the book the lanterns aren't "less prominent", they're absent completely. Aside from that, really enjoyed it 😁 And I'm jealous you live in Taiwan, that's my dream.
@larry7898
@larry7898 2 жыл бұрын
100% agree about your theory. Two other supporting thoughts... 1) the order of the wives match up with social power structure (government > military > bourgeois > proletariat > farmers). 2) sequence of Yan'er and Meishan's downfall match sequence of Great Leap Forward followed by Cultural Revolution, and it took for failure of Great Leap Forward drive the proletariat to a even crazier downfall due to Cultural Revolution. FYI - I don't necessarily think Meishan represents as much art but the bourgeois more broadly, and is a combination of intellects/artists and materialists. I also wonder what the husband and eldest son signified. Could the husband be imperialism (traditional, rigidity, and precursor to communism) and the eldest son be capitalism (energetic, appealing, imperialism 2.0; and so, so seductive to the proletariat, particularly around the time this film was made). Nicely done video!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! That’s a really good point about the order of the wives matching the power structure!
@urthcreature
@urthcreature 2 жыл бұрын
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!! Such a shame the way people post movie spoilers on the internet, ruining the movie for generations who haven’t had a chance to see it yet. The trailers and wiki article also give spoilers - AVOID and just go see the movie!!! It’s amazing.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
This “explained” video is for people who have already seen the movie and want to hear someone’s interpretation of its meaning. Yes if you haven’t seen the movie go watch it first.
@jw6318
@jw6318 8 ай бұрын
why does the volume go up & & down in your video?
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 8 ай бұрын
I tried a new mic set up for this video, that I later improved on. Little did I know this would end up being my most watched video 😂
@smavi4133
@smavi4133 2 жыл бұрын
4:30 wasn't the execution of a wife, as they said, "many generations ago" or something along those lines?
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
Yes this has been pointed out to me a few times, I did mix up that bit so it’s a bit of a flaw in my thesis, 😬😅😅😅
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo
@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo 2 жыл бұрын
This review is very far-fetched.Especially by dragging in communism. And it is clear that you were not paying attention to the film. And that you didnt read the book. quite a few thing that you simply sucked out of your thumb.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
You're right I didn't read the book, however I did carefully study the film. Obviously I expected some people would take issue with my interpretation, that's fair :) through our varied experiences and understandings of the world we all see different things when we look at art, that's kind of the beauty of artistic creations. So you can think I pulled these ideas about the film out of thin air and I can think you're naive for not seeing a clearly disguised criticism of China's government. (Everyone sees different things right?). I can accept the assertion that I'm reading too much into the film but don't really care for the accusation that I'm being lazy in my understanding of the work, but hey people are gonna write whatever they want in the KZbin comments. So more power to you.
@karena_j_paez
@karena_j_paez Жыл бұрын
excellemt!!!!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@valve6642
@valve6642 Жыл бұрын
Please analyze the film, NINE DAYS.
@valve6642
@valve6642 Жыл бұрын
Corrected I meant NINE DAYS - sorry
@fuanasantuary1277
@fuanasantuary1277 2 жыл бұрын
The audio is lowering at interval.
@Hamburger-vg7vt
@Hamburger-vg7vt Жыл бұрын
I thought songlian would end up with the first wife's son😔
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Yeah they do a good job of teasing that possibility
@emrsdca
@emrsdca Жыл бұрын
My first and only impression of the eldest son was he was homosexual, and trying very hard to not show it. He (this is my opinion only) gravitated toward Songlian because they were alike in age and such. He tries to be friendly but at the wrong time (when Songlian was drunk on her birthday) so his attempt at being friendly failed. But i think that was for the best because she definitely would have taken it the wrong way AND gotten them in a hot mess with his father. But I felt he was definitely not into women.
@louislaw85
@louislaw85 16 күн бұрын
Okay.. Songlian is educated. Shes DEFO not poor and rural.😅
@crazzylife999
@crazzylife999 2 жыл бұрын
I just want to know what's inside room at last
@tdao9741
@tdao9741 2 жыл бұрын
I do think your analysis what each wife represents is a stretch.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
You may be right 🤔 but it’s fun to speculate 😁
@tdao9741
@tdao9741 2 жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano you’re absolutely right about the fun. Growing up watching lots of Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese content, I find it refreshing to see an analysis from a western angle like yours. Thanks for putting together the video.
@carsi7282
@carsi7282 Жыл бұрын
I find capitalism is the exact same. The result is the same. What is happening in western government right now is parallel to communism, feudalize, gentry, castes. Capitalism has the same results.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Certainly, all systems have their faults. One thing that I think is important and why I took this interpretation of the film is that I think an artists role is to criticize the systems they live under. Zhang yi Mou is in a unique position to criticize China and it’s politics because he lives there and I think similarly all the best critiques of capitalism don’t come from communist artists but rather those living under capitalism - take a look at this film review for a brilliant critique of capitalism kzbin.info/www/bejne/iV6cp2N5bql-iKM
@StevenHarris-xs7nj
@StevenHarris-xs7nj Жыл бұрын
wow, did you miss the boat! whether or not zhang had any intention of critiquing the contemporary chinese communist party, this film illustrates the conditions which Led to the chinese revolution, viewed through the lens of the position of women. while male chauvinism isn't far beneath the surface of Any major party of modern times (did somebody say GOP?) the stunning resonance of red lantern comes from its allusions to the most revered ancient text: the i ching. 2000 years ago, somewhat before the appearance of the ccp, the tragic position of the low-ranking concubine in an aristocratic household is examined in one of the most inauspicious 'images' in the book-- #54: the marriageable maiden. have you not considered the full significance the setting of the piece on the very eve of the uprising of 1927? how you come by the notion that the very force which ended classical patriarchy, whatever its shortcomings, should be a major target of the critique of age-old male privilege is mysterious to me. perhaps it's a 'classic' example of a-historical north american axe-grinding
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
I think it’s great that you have such an in depth understanding of the I Ching and the literature on which the film is based. I enjoy hearing different perspectives on my interpretation. I do feel a little obligated to defend myself here though since you said I have “a western axe to grind” I’m not sure why me putting out this particular interpretation of the film seems to rub certain people the wrong way, don’t you think it’s possible that a work can be about multiple things? And a director living under a communist regime might be inclined to use past oppression as an allegory for the current political situation they live under no? Personally I think Zhang Yimou was a pretty subversive director during this era of his filmmaking so it’s stands to reason that he would couch veiled criticism of the government he lived under into his film.
@StevenHarris-xs7nj
@StevenHarris-xs7nj Жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano great to hear from you so soon! nothing better than a lively debate between directors! let 500 blossoms bloom! did zhang intend a critique of the communist party Of The 1990's? possibly. the problem is that you fail to see the crucial differences between the ccp of that era (already well on the way to converting to state capitalism),and the red guards of the 1960's-'70's (who were Bitterly opposed to the bureaucrats and financiers who led to the state capitalism of 'xi jin ping thought.') if i read you properly, you see in the standard-issue students' uniform mei shan wears in the early 1st act as some kind of veiled allusion of the guards. a truly bizarre reading! for all their faults, the red guards were politically astute enough to foresee the emergence of a new ruing class (the one that now runs the show.) a large part of meishan's poignancy is her naivete. she's a guppy swimming with sharks! a red guard would hardly have tolerated her predicament--and almost certainly never have submitted to it in the first place! it's the rather unfortunate tendency of westerners to replace solid historical understanding of other cultures with the reflexive application of ideological cant that, forgive me, forms the basis of your reading. above all remember that the setting of both the film and the novella is the 1920s-- a time when the ccp was of little political significance. it was the Guomintang government that allowed feudal polygamous patriarchy to continue. one of many ancient evils that the revolution swept away. i think it far more likely that zhang is concerned with the misogyny which has governed our lives for 15,00 years!
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
​@@StevenHarris-xs7nj You seem very certain in your very literal interpretation and I must say I respect that. I would even ration a guess that it is more than likely that all your interpretations are 100 percent correct because they are so well thought out and supported with facts and your deep historical knowledge. Personally, though I enjoy speculation on symbolism and different ways of seeing things. Thanks for commenting it really helps more people see the content the more comments are made on my videos 😊✊
@StevenHarris-xs7nj
@StevenHarris-xs7nj Жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano i tend to sound very certain of my opinions. believe me, i don't intend to. i'm always open to other points of view! meanwhile, i understand you're a filmmaker too. if you'd like, we could swap links to our stuff.
@Kateyangyuqing
@Kateyangyuqing 2 жыл бұрын
A comment about the setting: its also clearly Beijing. The centre of CCP power.
@susanpoindexter1635
@susanpoindexter1635 Жыл бұрын
Would a film maker be so bold? The CCP is cruel
@peitiyu
@peitiyu 2 жыл бұрын
What a nonsense analogy the story is all about the old feudal society, the women and the poor have no rights at old days. What did the communist been to China all women have equal rights, all the girls can marry who ever they choose not arrange by their parents. That's why at that time most young educated people joined communism took over all China. Only you White Americans have this kind of view though this movie so laughable. I am not saying communism is great for everything but one thing it bring all equal rights for all Chinese people not only the rich elite. Before the communist took over China literacy was less than 10 percent of population after Mao died in 2976 it became 80 percent. And to the creator of this channel do you know the whole Chinese history? You love Taiwan so much did you know that when Taiwan became prosper was under Chiang Kai Shek's son and did you know he was a communist idealist because he studied in Russia and was classmate with Deng xiao ping? He also took the land and give to the people and rebuild Taiwan. Too bad he died early other wise both parties will work together and had peaceful reunification.
@peitiyu
@peitiyu 2 жыл бұрын
Sorry Mao died 1976 lol text wrong key
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
It’s very funny to me how offended you seem that someone has a different interpretation of art than you. Just to be clear are you disputing that 45 million people died during the Great Leap Forward? And that more died during the cultural revolution? You sound very smart so I’m sure you are aware.
@peitiyu
@peitiyu 2 жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano 45 million people who count the body? U.N u.s.a Chinese nationalist? Who? when Mao took over China there are 400 million Chinese when he died it went over 700 million Chinese people that was the fact, that's why China implemented one child policy. Mao lit the fire during culture revolution but fire was spread through the people supported him because he was losing power in the party. Look Donald Trump what he did in America took over the Republican party though he people he supports him same thing.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
@@peitiyu Yes, just like the Chinese government taught you all the “facts” you know about history.
@peitiyu
@peitiyu 2 жыл бұрын
@@MintVolcano The fact is China have 1.4 billion people. 1 billion more Chinese people after 1949 and it's the 2nd largest economy of the world soon will take over U.S become the biggest economy. You can disbelieve anything you want that doesn't matter. You will witness the reunification of Taiwan in your life time that's what I am going to say, butt out of the China's affairs you are not Chinese you don't have 5000 years of Chinese wisdom in your brain.Ask your self white men last 150 years how much people you have killed how many countries you have destroyed ask the native American how they doing? Why won't America set Hawaii free. Don't worry about China one day Chinese people don't want the communist to run China anymore it will be take over by it's own people like for last 5000 years.
@annaislit8842
@annaislit8842 2 жыл бұрын
Not everything is about politics bro just appreciate the art and the movie itself…Your making this all about politics wtf
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 2 жыл бұрын
I respect that opinion but this is all in good fun, it’s just a different interpretation of the film that I thought was interesting
@EarlHayward
@EarlHayward 2 жыл бұрын
It is political, but you have to understand Orientalism first… the cultural construct of Orientalism is defined as the “European imperialistic strategy of composing a positive image of the western Self while casting the ‘East’ as its negative alter ego, alluring and exotic, dangerous and mysterious, always the Other”. And, as Lisa Lau stated, “Orientals are seen to be perpetrating Orientalism no less than non-Orientals”. Specifically, as in this film, it was done with perceived expectations of Western readers in which the so-called Chinese tradition of family life and sexual ploys are reinvented for exoticism. In fact, many Chinese are not happy with this director for such behavior; Wang Xiaodong, calls this kind of reverse racism the slavery of the Western master (yangnu). It gets kind of complicated, but political in the sense that it leans (or rather embraces) Western expectations in the creative product.
@JeremyWong194
@JeremyWong194 2 жыл бұрын
A very interesting allegorical interpretation of the veiled messages in this masterpiece, and I think your explanation definitely holds water based on the historical facts about how the CCP ran China during its first few decades in power. Although I'm told that the film initially passed the censors, I would not be at all surprised if certain higher-ups who watched the film came to similar - if not the same - conclusions as you and therefore decided to ban this film in mainland China for several years after its release.
@PurimEmaza
@PurimEmaza 5 ай бұрын
this is such a reach lol.
@burntoats
@burntoats Жыл бұрын
Hello Mint, interesting and thorough interpretation, but this is far from Raise the Red Lantern Explained. It's one layer, perhaps important, but you can't 'explain' a film like this as a mere collection of political symbols. It's too rich audio-visually and dramatically. There would be no reason to make films if they were just allegories for something else. I'm not saying Zhang Yimou didn't have this level of interpretation in mind, but it's just one level, and it does not explain the film at all. According to your interpretation, the discourse around the patriarchy and women would just be a means to the end of explaining symbolically the Revolution? Any good work of art has complexity, layers, and you can't just 'explain' it. Art is not a Rubik's cube.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, apologies for the “KZbin-ification” of the title of the video, unfortunately that is the best way to get views and for more people to see a video. Of course I understand that this isn’t the “explanation” of the film, it’s just an interesting idea I had when watching the film that I wanted to share. I certainly believe that films can have many “explanations” and that all the thoughts and emotions and ideas that come up in audiences are valid and important, something I try to talk about and encourage on this channel is for people to think deeply for themselves about what art means to them. I know what you mean about using the term “explained” and I hope the more people learn and explore ideas about art and films that they move away from quick interpretations that tell them everything and start thinking about art as something they can bring their own ideas into 😉
@burntoats
@burntoats Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your reply :)
@burntoats
@burntoats Жыл бұрын
And hope I didn’t come across as arrogant. After watching the film for the first time yesterday I was really impressed and I had a knee jerk reaction to the word ‘explained’ 😂
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano Жыл бұрын
@burntoats not at all 😄 it’s an important point and one that I think people should consider
@hakhanh86
@hakhanh86 8 ай бұрын
what the fuck ? your intepreter make me laugh a lot. I think it's not correct but unique. I am living in Viet Nam a softer communism government and I confirm that 1 thing you can't play with government(also communism party). This film was made internal in china. There no way that they do a film to mention about their politic
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 8 ай бұрын
It’s possible I’m wrong. It may even be likely I’m wrong. However what I’m discussing in this video is the concept of disguising art within metaphor to avoid censorship within the regime. In my opinion the fact that it was made within China strengthens my case because that would be the lived experience of the creator, so of course feelings about communism would be part of the work, consciously or subconsciously. A skilled artist uses metaphor to connect feelings and ideas to other experiences building on similarities. The point of this review isn’t to state “this is exactly what this movie is about” but rather to show how art can be about more than one thing, good art can be about many concepts and ideas all at once. I hope more people can become open to that possibility.
@bflmpsvz870
@bflmpsvz870 11 ай бұрын
Your interpetation is a complete bs. Why would you need to mix a CCP into this metaphysical movie?
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 11 ай бұрын
That’s fine if that’s your opinion. I think it should be said that this interpretation is added on top of any other interpretation of the movie, because I think Zhangyi Mou is able to work on multiple levels so I don’t believe this to be the sole meaning of the movie. So COMPLETE BS seems a bit strong to say but hey I get that some people won’t agree.
@bflmpsvz870
@bflmpsvz870 11 ай бұрын
​@@MintVolcanoWhat I am saying is that the critique of CCP is not in the first plan, second or third plan of every movie and in everyone's mind like it seems to be in the mind of average yank. People around the world have time to think of other things than that. To me the movie did not run any symbolism that had to be forcibly assigned to every character. It was rather about the behaviour of humans when put into the situation movie described.
@MintVolcano
@MintVolcano 11 ай бұрын
@@bflmpsvz870 I certainly understand that perspective and it definitely makes sense to me however I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume an artist like Zhangyimou who overtly criticized the CCP in the past with his movie “To Live” might retain some of that sentiment in his other work. If you look at some other videos on my channel you’ll see I’m not obsessed with this subject (check out my review of the Chinese film Unknown Pleasures kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYLCnHR5mJV0bMksi=Xkrax0_OyoIV_9OM) but I do find it interesting that this is the review I get so much push back on.
@bflmpsvz870
@bflmpsvz870 11 ай бұрын
Ok no worries. Thanks for a tip to more interesting movies. All the best!
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