Considering its place within East Asian filmmaking, this is a worthwhile movie... though it feels quite distinct from what audiences in Western countries are accustomed to, and that unfamiliarity ultimately diminishes our engagement with it. I believe this might have been my initial exposure to Chinese film, but I can’t be certain. While I'm not knowledgeable about the cinema of this nation, I can say that it’s one of those films viewed without significant enthusiasm. Naturally, I mean a typical viewer; there are undoubtedly dedicated fans of East Asian movies who would find more interest in this material. The story centers on Song Lian, a young woman, who is pressured into marrying someone wealthy after her father passes away. She becomes the fourth wife of a man and must navigate a complicated family dynamic alongside his other wives, where jealousy and competition are commonplace. The film presents a depiction of family life that feels foreign to Western sensibilities. It’s conceivable only within societies with strong patriarchal structures, where women hold subordinate positions. It's not an exceptional movie, but it’s honestly adequate, and I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that it could be considered a classic in Chinese cinema (those more qualified can offer a better assessment). Gong Li delivers a commendable performance as Song Lian, and she is well-supported by Saifei He, Cuifen Cao, Lin Kong, and Qi Zhao. Jingwu Ma also performs admirably as the family patriarch and husband to all those wives. The cinematography is strong, as are the costumes and sets, which transport us to another time and place. What likely kept this film from achieving greater success in the West was a lack of promotion and the challenge of adjusting to its atmosphere—it’s considerably more contemplative, restrained, and somber compared to most films distributed by Hollywood.

Source on TMDB