Thomas Ringdal’s review published on Letterboxd:
Now, the story in itself, though well told and better acted, would not have been enough for me to love this film. The life of a concubine just doesn't do much for me, Gong Li being magnificent aside.
But. Raise the Red Lantern is a heavywight contender in the category "best cinematography in the history of man". If pressed I'd say that Yimou had a finger in that as well, as his cinematographer hasn't shone this brightly since (but did get his "hands" on a Woody Allen film or two). On top of the cinematography the mise en scene is perfection brought to life, and it gives off this atmospheric sense of the past, with all it's secrets.
The first part is the biggest culprit as far as keeping me desinterested and just looking at the "pictures" goes, but thankfully it cranks it up a couple of notches in the second half.
If you're looking for a good depiction of women outwitting, undermining, and destroying each other, you could do a whole lot worse.