By Jiang Tong

On the evening of May 10th, Mr. Byron Sherman introduced a classic film named Raise the Red Lantern in Lize Building A106. He mentioned that the film attracted international attention.

First of all, Byron introduced the background of the film to students. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and reorganized from Su Tong’s fiction Wives and Concubines. Zhang knew Chinese villages very well. He thought art should expose injustice and speak for the oppressed. Both Zhang’s film and Su’s book focused on the female issue, which was the core of the film “Raise the Red Lantern”.

Later on, Byron explained basic plots of the film. The story was set in the Chen household in the 1920s. It symbolized China’s feudal society. The master in the film was in control like a God and women could be used and thrown away as objects. The main actress Songlian was on behalf of the youth power. Besides, with Byron’s particular introduction of Chen’s house, Songlian and other women in family, students got a deep understanding of this film.

Finally, Byron answered the questions some students asked about the film’s details and the lecture ended with a huge round of applause.