39th Annual Student Research Conference
Hierarchy and Family Structure in Republican-era China: Evidence from Two Chinese Films
London S. Blakey*, Xinjie Chen, Xinkai Cao, and Brayden Chen
Prof. Zhijun Wen, Faculty Mentor
This study investigates how Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern(1991) and Red Sorghum (1987) depict family hierarchies and social practices in Republican-era China. It asks: how accurately do these films represent rigid patriarchal systems versus more flexible rural dynamics? Focusing on key scenes such as the ritualized hierarchy and punishment systems in Raise the Red Lantern and the flexible relationships and labor dynamics in Red Sorghum, the analysis explores how each film constructs family authority and social order. These representations are compared with historical scholarship on family organization (Jordan 2021) and concubinage practices (Watson 1991). The study argues that while Raise the Red Lantern emphasizes rigid patriarchal hierarchy and ritual control, Red Sorghum presents a less conventional and more flexible family model. Both films reflect elements of historical reality but reshape them through narrative and visual artistry, highlighting cinema’s value and limitations as evidence for understanding Republican-era social structures.
Keywords: Republican-era China, Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum, Family Structures, Punishment , Traditions, Film
Topic(s):Chinese
History
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA