China in the 1920's. After the death of her father, nineteen-year-old Songlian marries wealthy Master Chen.  Fifty year old Chen alredy has three wives, each of them living in separate houses within the large palace. Every evening, the four wives are made to stand before their doors in their shared courtyard while their husband decides who he will sleep with that night, announced by placing a red lantern in her doorway. Songlian soon finds that life in the luxurious but claustrophobic mansion is all about brutal competition between the wives.

Awards:
1991 Venice International Film Festival – Silver Lion
1992 New York Film Critics Circle Awards - NYFCC Award for Best Foreign Language Film
1992 David di Donatello Italian Film Awards - Best Foreign Language Film
1993 BAFTA Film Award - Best Film Not in the English Language
1993 Hundred Flowers Awards - Best Actress: Gong Li ; Best Film