Raise the Red Lantern
Directed by Zhang Yimou · 1991 ·
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) earns a 89% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.
4-input transparent breakdown
🏆 1 nomination
Orion Classics Where to watch
Streaming availability varies by region — currently on Wavve in South Korea. Check local listings for your region.
Where to watch Raise the Red Lantern by country
| Country | Streaming on |
|---|---|
| Japan | Prime Video, Hulu, U-NEXT |
| South Korea | Wavve |
Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.
Why this score?
- Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (96/100).
- Audiences widely enjoyed it (91%).
- Metascore signals universal acclaim (93/100).
- Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.2/5).
- IMDb users score it 8.1/10.
Best for
- Viewers who want a well-regarded drama pick
Not ideal for
Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy
Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Is Raise the Red Lantern worth watching?
Yes — Raise the Red Lantern earns a 89% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.
Celluloid Verdict
Zhang Yimou's claustrophobic palace drama exposes patriarchy with formal beauty and icy precision.
Celluloid editorial verdict
Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
What is Raise the Red Lantern about?
A young woman becomes the fourth wife of a wealthy lord and discovers brutal competition among concubines in 1920s China.
Watch the Trailer
Critic Reviews
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Review: A Chinese Classic
★★★★½
Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern (1991) endures as a defining drama landmark from China, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
Raise the Red Lantern stills
Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.
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