1. Cultural Color
Zhang Yimou is a well-known Chinese director in Western countries. His films have a strong Chinese color, and also deeply and vividly reflect some of China's backward culture. Many people in China believe that in order to cater to the aesthetics of Western countries, Zhang Yimou has vilified traditional Chinese culture and exposed Chinese history and culture to foreign countries. But it is understandable that Zhang Yimou has indeed brought Chinese culture to the world, winning attention and development space for Chinese films in the world.
two. Chinese culture and feudal society characteristics can be seen everywhere in the film "The Big Red
Lanterns Are Hanging High". Every corner of the film is filled with the element of "red", which is understandable. "Red" is the color that best represents China, and it is also the initial understanding of China in Western countries. The most prominent "red" is the red lanterns in the courtyard. The red color of the lanterns and the cold gray of the courtyard walls form a sharp contrast. They represent the old rules handed down from generation to generation by the ancestors of the Chen family and the people who have long been sick in reality. In addition, there is an inner "red" that runs through the film from beginning to end, that is, the jealousy among women and the inner "red" of desire.
There was no red lantern in the eldest wife's house. In the first close-up, you could see the incense behind her, and then during the conversation with Songlian, two maids were seen dusting ashes in the distance. The child gives people the feeling of decay and decay, the red lantern will not appear in her house, and she will not be involved in the intrigue of wives and concubines anymore, she is just an old man on the verge of death. In the house of the second wife Zhuo Yun, golden silk cloth can be seen everywhere, giving people a feeling of elegance and luxury. During their conversation, you can see the vases behind them. This person Zhuo Yun is like a vase, on the surface of charity, no one knows what bad thoughts are in her heart. There are more or less lanterns in her house, and these lanterns are the spoils of this war. In the house of the third wife, Mei Shan, masks of various sizes were hung all over the room, and red lanterns were interspersed throughout the room. In the film, Mei Shan is the most direct wife, just as the master said: "She sings when she's happy, and cries when she's not happy." She is a woman who follows her own temperament. She has all the qualities of a woman, and she is kind Jealous, irritable, unwilling to be lonely, the most commendable thing is that he still has his own hobby, singing. But under her seemingly capricious appearance, she is more kind and sincere than Zhuo Yun. In the fourth wife Song Lian's room, the walls are full of paintings and calligraphy, and you can feel the smell of books, which is most similar to Song Lian's situation when she first entered the house. And the red lanterns that filled the house were the most used by the master for her freshness, but it also undoubtedly became the target of public criticism. There is also a Yan'er's house, which was flooded by red light as soon as the door was opened. In the small room, large and small lanterns were hung, and the whole room showed a strange red light, which also coincided with Yan'er's jealousy of Song Lian and her desire to become a concubine.
three. The Decay and Faint Hope of Feudalism
In the play, there is no positive shot of the master, always wearing a black robe, walking lifelessly among the four wives, without emphasizing the character of the master, which represents the difference between the feudal period "Master" in the family. The housekeeper's name is Chen Baishun. He has always been obedient to the old rules. He is a continuation of the feudal etiquette. He also wears the same black robe. old rules". On the wall of the dining room, there are many portraits of officials. These may be the ancestors of the Chen family. They watched their younger generation discuss matters in front of them, and their children and grandchildren were all adhering to the old tradition of the Chen family under their watchful eyes. Rules handle all things everyday. The master and the butler are the masters and continuation of this cannibalistic feudal family.
The eldest young master Feihong is the only person in the play who represents vitality and hope. When he first appeared on the stage, he played the flute to the setting sun. Songlian heard the sound and stood by and looked at him. It was the first time when there was sunshine. In her face, Feihong brought a breath of life to her lifeless life. When Song Lian rummaged through boxes to find her flute, she discovered Yan'er's secret of hanging lanterns and tying the villain, which made her even more involved in the disputes among the women in the courtyard. Later, I also learned that the flute was burned by the master, and her former nature was also burned with the flute. Feihong's second appearance was after Songlian was sealed off, but when she asked Feihong to stay with her and wanted to seize this glimmer of hope, Feihong turned and left, hope was completely dashed. After that, Songlian completely collapsed and started to go crazy with alcohol. No doubt, she told Mei Shan's secret affair, which resulted in Mei Shan's murder and her own mental breakdown, resulting in an irreversible situation.
Four. The persecution of human nature by the feudal system
During the feudal society, China had an obvious class character. "Three kowtows and nine worships" is also an impression of Western countries on China's social system. The wild goose in the film represents the working people at the bottom of the feudal class. Yaner wanted to be a concubine, and the master did have an affair with her, but because of her status as a maid, becoming a concubine was always her dream. Therefore, when Song Lian first entered the door, she showed extreme resistance to the fourth wife. The director took the words of Aunt Cao to express Yan'er's heart, and at the same time emphasized the determinant of identity to her. In the second half of the film, when Song Lian was burning the lantern, she said again: "I am also my wife after the lamp is closed. I tell you, my wife is my wife, and my maid is my maid." Hou Yan'er glared at Song Lian with resentful eyes. . The class nature was emphasized again, and the eldest wife's final decision to "follow the old rules" was precisely the class punishment imposed by China's thousands of years of feudal rule. Yan'er's silent protest after being punished was ultimately no match for the biting cold wind from the outside world, and she fell into the snow. This symbolized that the working people at that time were completely powerless to resist the feudal environment that had become so deeply rooted, and they could only end their resistance at the cost of their lives. At first, Songlian entered the house with her luggage and then bent over to wash her hands with Yan'er washing water, without a trace of her wife's air. And after she was provoked by Yan'er's actions, she immediately used her identity to order Yan'er to do things as punishment. In the future, she even tasted the advantage of his wife's status, and ordered Yan'er to pinch her feet, searched her house, abused and beat her, and finally burned a lantern. Songlian was slowly eroded by the feudal class system, and gradually changed from a student who had studied foreign culture to a member of the feudal family, reflecting the persecution and distortion of human nature by the feudal system at that time.
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