Raise the red lantern

11 yrs 125 minutes • 1991 • 8.1

Songlian, a young woman in 1920s China, is sent to become a wealthy man’s fourth wife after the death of her father. Every day, the man decides which of his wives to spend the night with, and red lanterns are lit outside of the door of the chosen woman. Being chosen comes with power and influence in the household, and the women do whatever they can to improve their position. The film is based on the short story Wives and Concubines by Su Tong, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best foreign Language Film in 1992.