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(out of 5)
A young country girl (Li Gong) is sent to live in the mansion of a wealthy man to be his fourth wife. In this household, a red lantern is raised above the door of any one of the four wives to denote whom the master chooses to spend his evening with, and soon our heroine realizes that the process of getting the lantern above her door for as long as possible is a fight for status and survival. Her wits are sharpened when she meets her three rivals (all of whom are older than her) and is introduced to a world of Do or Die. Fantastic photography is just the starting point of this incredible journey, one highlighted by terrific acting, a brilliant script, and Yimou’s unwavering direction.
ERA International, , Century Communications, Salon Films
Directed by Yimou Zhang
Screenplay by Ni Zhen, based on the novel by Su Tong
Cinematography by Lun Yang, Fei Zhao
Produced by Fu-Sheng Chiu
Music by Naoki Tachikawa, Jiping Zhao
Production Design by Juiping Cao
Costume Design by Huamiao Tong
Film Editing by Yuan Du
Boston Film Critics Awards 1992.
