Raise the Red Lantern (DVD)

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) starring Gong Li. After her father's death, 19-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) marries a much older man, becoming the fourth concubine in the man's household. She finds herself in competition with the other mistresses of the house for the master's attention -- and the privileges that go with it. The interplay of personalities among the four "sisters" -- and Songlian's inability to adjust to life in the structured environment -- make for a subtly woven tapestry of a movie that can shock as well as entertain. In Chinese, with English subtitles. Grade: A