China thru film

There is a common theme in films that are made in China with regards to arranged marriages. The theme is that the arrangement usually creates a unity of unhappiness and sorrow. As seen in such films as Raise the Red Lantern, Judou, and Women from the Lake of Scented Soul, the women who are forced into marriage find specific ways to cope with their unhappiness. In Judou and Women from the Lake of Scented Soul, the women involved decided to commit adultery with other men. In Raise the Red Lantern the Fourth Mistress is forced to lie about being pregnant to gain better treatment from the servants and maids. It is likely that though arranged marriages may be common, they are not held in high esteem within China.