This paper analyzes the movie Women From the Lake of Scented Souls, alternatively known as Woman Sesame Oil Maker by Chinese director and scriptwriter Xie Fei. The main aim of the work is to assess the effects of the Confucian values on the heroines of the film.
Summary of the Movie
Women From the Lake of Scented Souls tells the story of Xiagn – an industrious middle-aged woman living in a quiet village in rural China. She was sold to her husband at the age of thirteen and managed to transform the disgust with her slothful and abusive husband into energy needed to maintain the family’s sesame oil production business. Her success is noted by a Japanese businesswoman, who invests into Xiagn’s business and helps it grow and prosper. As she grows rich, Xiagn becomes concerned with the fate of her epileptic and mentally disabled son Dunzi. She arranges for him to be married with Huanhuan – a peasant girl, whose family desperately needs money. After the young woman is nearly strangled during one of Dunzi’s fits and runs away, Xiagn realizes how she orchestrated the misery of Huanhuan and tries to redeem herself by offering the girl freedom. However, she feels that her life is already ruined and sinks into deeper despair.
Confucianism and Women
It is widely accepted that Confucianism placed women in the position of submission and servitude. One of the basics of this teaching are The Five Bonds: ruler to ruled, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, friend to friend. As Confucian teaching has influenced other Asian cultures as well, these bonds play an important part in those countries as well. For example, these bonds are honored in Japan, where women face similar problems (Cooper 5). In this paradigm the place of the woman was one of a servant: she was supposed to be loyal first to her parents, then to her husband and finally to her sons as a widow. Prominent Confucian thinker Zhu Xi even stated:
To do wrong is unbecoming to a wife, and to do good is also unbecoming to a wife. A woman is only to be obedient to what is proper (Tiwald and Van Norden 296).
All of these views and ideas are reflected in the movie. The burden of obedience and servitude oppresses both Xiagn and Huanhuan. It is the primary source of their misery. They are bound by their obligations to their families, no matter how cruel those people are. These bonds, very Confucian in their nature, prevent the heroines from attaining any sort of personal happiness, forcing them to care for the unloving husbands, despite having no love for them. It is worth noting that some writers attribute that concept of womanhood to the perversion of original Confucian beliefs which considered men and women equally capable of virtue (Clark and Wang 2). But it is clear that one way or another, the later teachings contributed greatly to the women’s role as mute servants in Chinese society. At the time the movie was filmed, the significant changes were set in motion by the Cultural Revolution, leading to women playing a much more active role in the society. However, these changes met resistance from the traditionalists, who slowed the empowerment of women (Li 31). It was especially problematic in rural areas, like the one where the movie takes place.
Representation of the Societal Role of Women in the Movie
The focus of Women From the Lake of Scented Souls is the tragedy of life entangled and confused by the expectations of society. Xiagn takes on her role of a servant to a man she hates stoically, finding solace in her work. She manages to overcome her grief and unhappiness by excelling at her job and meeting with her secret lover. However, it is revealed numerous times throughout the movie, that she is still suffering deeply, as she is still being used by her husband as a tool to make money. The imagery of the movie has been characterized by critics as “gentle, moving and precise” (Maslin par.7). It serves to accentuate the few of the truly impactful moments of the movie, which serve as center points of the story. The lotus-covered lake, which supposedly is a watery grave of the two young girls who suffered from lost love, appears throughout the film as if reminding the viewer of the second option always available to Xiagn. She, however, refuses to give up and continues to search for some way to become happy. The movie demonstrates how the world changes, industry progresses and thrives, Xiagn becomes more rich and influential. Even money doesn’t help her, as she doesn’t know how to use it to lessen her misery. Her misguided attempt to care about her disabled son leads to the heroine sending the other girl down the same path. She knows well how hard it is for a woman to be bought by another family, to be forced into living with somebody she doesn’t really love. The misery of the situation Huanhuan ends up in is contrasted with bright and beautiful imagery of the traditional wedding. It is clearly shown how the Confucian tradition of unquestionable loyalty to the family promotes such behavior. However, it is worth noting that at the core of it all lies Xiagn’s motherly love for Dunzi. But it is the tradition of complete obedience that allows her to essentially buy Huanhuan, almost like a slave. And it is truly a tradition as arranged marriage has been considered the question of the family honor in China since Han era (Watson and Ebrey 25). The girl, even given the option at the end of the movie, cannot leave and face the ire of her family, repeating the Xiagn’s fate and continuing the cycle of forced servitude and depression.
Conclusion
Women From the Lake of Scented Souls presents an incredible story of a struggle of several women against oppressive Confucian stereotypes which dominated contemporary China. Behind the calm tranquility of the village live depicted in the movie, hides the story of the search for personal happiness in the society that worships complete selflessness in women. A few strokes of violence dot the narrative, delivering a powerful impact when presented against the backdrop of serenity. The film tackles problems which were widespread at the time of filming and remain serious to this day. The problems of gender equality in the countries which inherited the Confucian way of thinking are far from fully resolved. Women From the Lake of Scented Souls brings a lot of difficult questions to public attention, presenting them gently and with visual excellence.
Works Cited
Clark, Kelly James and Robin R. Wang. “A Confucian Defense Of Gender Equity”. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 72.2 (2004): 395-422. Web.
Cooper, Jessica. “The Roles of Women, Animals, and Nature in Traditional Japanese and Western Folk Tales Carry Over into Modern Japanese and Western Culture”. Undergraduate Honors Thesis Series (2013). Paper 166. East Tennessee State University. Web.
Li, Yuhui. “Women’s Movement and Change of Women’s Status in China”. Journal of International Women’s Studies 1.1(2000): 30-40. Print.
Maslin, Janet. “Women From the Lake of Scented Souls (1993) Review/Film; Hard Work Without Just Reward In China”. New York Times. 1994. Web.
Tiwald, Justin, and Bryan W Van Norden. Readings In Later Chinese Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2014. Print.
Watson, Rubie S, and Patricia Buckley Ebrey. Marriage And Inequality In Chinese Society. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991. Print.