"Raise the Red Lantern"

[d***@bellsouth.net]

I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

[treadleson]

On Jun 29, 9:18 am, "***@bellsouth.net" <***@bellsouth.net> wrote:

....

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

I don't know if that was this guy's personal custom or not, but I
adored this movie.

[d***@bellsouth.net]

Post by treadleson
....

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

I don't know if that was this guy's personal custom or not, but I
adored this movie.

(Denise) What did you like about it?

[moviePig]

Post by d***@bellsouth.net

Post by treadleson
....

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

I don't know if that was this guy's personal custom or not, but I
adored this movie.

(Denise) What did you like about it?

I seem to recall a commentary claiming that many of Zhang Yimou's
films, including this one, criticize political and social customs of
old China as a way of targeting those of current China (...because a
more direct approach would be career-suicide).

--

- - - - - - - -
YOUR taste at work...
http://www.moviepig.com

[d***@bellsouth.net]

Post by moviePig

Post by d***@bellsouth.net

Post by treadleson
....

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

I don't know if that was this guy's personal custom or not, but I
adored this movie.

(Denise) What did you like about it?

I seem to recall a commentary claiming that many of Zhang Yimou's
films, including this one, criticize political and social customs of
old China as a way of targeting those of current China (...because a
more direct approach would be career-suicide).
--
- - - - - - - -
  YOUR taste at work...
   http://www.moviepig.com

(Denise) I've read that too. Of course, Zhang Yimou has strongly
denied that but it seemed to me that it's easy to read the "family
customs" of the Chen family as a metaphor for the calcified Communist
system of today's China. The atrocity could also be reasonably seen as
similar to that of Tiannaman Square.

[Howard Brazee]

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:29:34 -0700 (PDT), moviePig

Post by moviePig
I seem to recall a commentary claiming that many of Zhang Yimou's
films, including this one, criticize political and social customs of
old China as a way of targeting those of current China (...because a
more direct approach would be career-suicide).

Some of the very best art has been to get around censorship.

[Howard Brazee]

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:48:47 -0700 (PDT), treadleson

Post by treadleson
I don't know if that was this guy's personal custom or not, but I
adored this movie.

Me neither/too.

[Flasherly]

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

Enjoyed that, too. The counterpart, noticing political misgivings for
directorial interpretation, might be an interesting movie made from
half-a-dozen Madoffs, an abounding ilk to swindle above all costs at
any means, last year's party girl for overpaid CEO's at board-member
meetings, todays' $5K hookers on obsequious $35-monthly cable exposé
re-runs, or just a general interpretation of rampant corruption across
a small minority of trend-setting despots. What's settled upon for at
something less, to be sure, as there aren't that many good character
assignations on an economic forefront of entertainment -- perhaps
being something too close to reality to be other than a distant
dramatization.

Red Sorghum isn't quite as good as Red Lantern, its implications being
broader, though enjoyable, if taken in the vein as, say, reading a
Stalinist endorsed "Quiet Flows the Don" -- proletarian leanings,
though not as scary as not-so-old Chinese women goosing bulls on
parade, whipping around pertly contrasting green attire, the red flags
and such -- more of a precursor to when Chinese proletariats avidly
followed government-issued comic books. Moments to charm in classic
sense, if less insightful than a profounder, may I might,
characterization Red Lantern evokes.

Must have missed the color thing in Red Lantern, and though I recall
it in Red Sorghum, (wiki goes there), I didn't follow it past a
general though focused mood for agriculture and summer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sorghum

[Pjk]

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

Enjoyed that, too.  The counterpart, noticing political misgivings for
directorial interpretation, might be an interesting movie made from
half-a-dozen Madoffs, an abounding ilk to swindle above all costs at
any means, last year's party girl for overpaid CEO's at board-member
meetings, todays' $5K hookers on obsequious $35-monthly cable exposé
re-runs, or just a general interpretation of rampant corruption across
a small minority of trend-setting despots.  What's settled upon for at
something less, to be sure, as there aren't that many good character
assignations on an economic forefront of entertainment -- perhaps
being something too close to reality to be other than a distant
dramatization.
Red Sorghum isn't quite as good as Red Lantern, its implications being
broader, though enjoyable, if taken in the vein as, say, reading a
Stalinist endorsed "Quiet Flows the Don" -- proletarian leanings,
though not as scary as not-so-old Chinese women goosing bulls on
parade, whipping around pertly contrasting green attire, the red flags
and such --  more of a precursor to when Chinese proletariats avidly
followed government-issued comic books.  Moments to charm in classic
sense, if less insightful than a profounder, may I might,
characterization Red Lantern evokes.
Must have missed the color thing in Red Lantern, and though I recall
it in Red Sorghum, (wiki goes there), I didn't follow it past a
general though focused mood for agriculture and summer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sorghum

dOESN'T THIS HAVE THAT CREEPY LITTLE SUB-PLOT ABOUT HIM KILLING ONE OF
HIS WIVES FOR INFIDELITY BY HANGING HER ALIVE IN THE LITTLE PAVILION
AND LETTING HER STARVE TO DEATH/

i'M F8CKING TIRED OF HAVE THE SHIFT KEY NEXT TO THE CAPS LOCK1

PJK

[Flasherly]

Post by Pjk
dOESN'T THIS HAVE THAT CREEPY LITTLE SUB-PLOT ABOUT HIM KILLING ONE OF
HIS WIVES FOR INFIDELITY BY HANGING HER ALIVE IN THE LITTLE PAVILION
AND LETTING HER STARVE TO DEATH/

i remember the fear about the pavilion -- not specifically the hanging
and starving. no need for a subplot if running a harem. seems natural
that element is going to be there. mistresses, i'd suspect, might be
as much african when seen culturally for most widely practiced. as for
the orient, just think to thailand, farmers selling their daughters,
the red cross declaring it a world crisis hotspot for the sex trade
business, or even more than a few chinese movies out of ca that deal
with an eastern traditional for worth assessed rank-&file women.
perfectly ok if you don't mind my not having a caps lock, just shift
keys -- ever since new, when took software and re-assigned that for
three control keys when i got my keyboard.

[sirblob2]

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
    Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

time's been very cruel for zimou for me. all the lanterns seem so
overlaced as i recall, so overbloated so overemphasised. no wonder he
winded up doing some of the most odious monsters in photographic
history stuff like flying daggers, seems ppl dont change and are from
the cradle to the grave.
still i saw lantern and another four- at that time even keep cool
seemed decent.... mebbe not one less but i very much doubt it

very much the opposite with bertolucci, including his film the last
emperor even while we're in china, the way if recall well he closes
just with the dance of the red guards, which explains partly why zimou
is a bad ex and bertolucci someone you carry in your everyday actions,
thou i think this is only part of the song and i remember it much
longer, and besides ffs i much prefer the ones where some kid gets to
fuck his mother in la luna or the one where a dame fucks some black
guy in the sheltering sky, in part i guess its why i keep watching
pics and dont go to night clubs like say travolta, cutespy joaquin
phoenix or that odious little will ferrell

[gggg gggg]

Post by d***@bellsouth.net
I think this is one of the most visually powerful movies I've ever
seen. The colors are absolutely sumptuous. The story line caught
interest and held it.
Was the idea of lighting lanterns to signal that a polygynist
husband would spend the night with that particular wife based on
something that actually happened in a family in China?

This movie was upload onto Youtube a few months ago: