Misogyny on screen in both Spring Town and Red Lantern presents an interesting case study of Chinese culture. In both films, the female protagonists have little to no effectiveness in their personal and professional lives. Each film presents a cross-section of radically different eras; in the 1950s and early 2000s respectively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Spring in a Small Town is on the surface a vision of Yuwen and Liyan's marriage, but is further complicated by Zichen and Xiu effectively creating a love square (a love triangle but with four). Yet, at its core, it's about Yuwen and her ability to choose what makes her happy in life or what she thinks she should do. Daruvala argues that perhaps this aspect of the plot is an intentional step away from the lyricism of aesthetics in an attempt to highlight the moral message hidden within (Daruvala 171). Yuwen feels bound by duty to keep the vows she made for the sake of the vows, not for the sake of her husband. What might seem like great love is actually humble servitude, a misplaced dedication to the cause as an end in itself, nothing more. It's almost as if Yuwen would rather go get medicine for her husband every day than think about the possibility of doing something for herself. On the other hand, Raise the Red Lantern is a love square, however, one-sided. The misogyny and oppression here is inherent in the lack of control each wife has over her own affairs. Love, or rather temporary affection, is only between the master and the mistress chosen for the evening. There is no reciprocity in any of his exchanges with women. Women use the master's fleeting attention to gain power and self-confidence, but nothing beyond the superficial level, there is no emotional connection. For example, the third mistress calls the master out of the fourth mistress's house on the wedding night due to an alleged illness. In truth, this was a clever ploy to exert his power and show Songlian her rightful place in the house. Likewise, when the second mistress felt threatened by the new women in the house, she asked for the help of a servant to take covert action against them. At the end of each film the misogyny is reinforced by the lack of action for both female protagonists. . Yuwen's happiness is right in front of her, the door has been opened by her true love, Zichen. Time and again he chooses loyalty to unhappiness over his personal life. The story ends with a hint of hope given the possibility that Zichen will return at the same time next year, but the prudent viewer knows that she will once again give up his offers to stay in a loveless marriage. It is a classic dilemma about love versus duty (Daruvala 174). Likewise, Songlian found himself speechless when he discovered Meishan's murder. His sanity had no alternative but to dissolve. In this way, both films again emphasize misogyny in the lack of agency on the part of the female protagonists in their personal narratives. Both films are also very accurate portrayals of their respective realities within China's history. Daruvala, “deeply rooted in Chinese aesthetics” (Daruvala 171). Although they are fictions, they embody and emphasize the society around them at the time. Lu argues that China's national cinema was actually created as a vehicle for such social criticism (Lu 105). Artists used their films to attract large international audiences to critique their culture. Here.