Raise the Red Lantern: Beautiful But SO Depressing!

Okay, so I just watched "Raise the Red Lantern." Honestly, I don't even know who directed it (sorry! I'm bad with that stuff). But wow, the visuals were stunning. Like, every single shot looked like a painting. All the red, the courtyard... just gorgeous. I can totally see why people are all about it. Thing is, it was also super bleak. All that scheming and backstabbing between the wives? Yikes. I was stressed out just watching it! That poor girl, Songlian, going from a (kinda) free college student to basically a prisoner in that house. You see her slowly get crushed by the system, and it's brutal. And the ritual with the red lanterns and the foot massages... honestly, creepy! Like they're all just objects fighting for attention. I kinda wanted to punch that Master guy in the face a few times. Though I guess that was the point, right? The opera singing parts were cool too, but again, added to the weird, unsettling vibe. I think my favorite character (if you can have a "favorite" in something this sad was the second wife, Meishan. She was a total diva but at least she was honest. I kinda got why she was so bitter. That ending though? Woof. Pretty sure I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Definitely worth a watch if you're in the mood for something heavy and visually amazing. Just don't expect a happy ending, lol. Also, a question for the people who've seen it: did anyone else feel that the movie was a bit slow-paced? I mean, it's definitely deliberate, but at times, I felt like it could have moved a bit faster. Maybe I just have a short attention span tho 😅.