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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Decadent, cool and highly enjoyable, September 22, 2004
This is a movie I think people either like a lot or dislike a lot. I've seen it twice in movie houses and now three times on DVD. It's a cool film, decadent to the core and with only one really likeable character, a 14 year old boy. I'm one of those who like it a lot.
The boy is brought to Shanghai (in the 1930s) by his gangster uncle to work in the "family" of a powerful, aging drug boss. The drug lord's mistress, a nightclub singer, is played by Gong Li. The boy is assigned to fetch and carry for her. Gong Li plays her as a willful, beautiful, selfish and perhaps overly confident courtesan. Gong Li sings and dances several times as the star of the nightclub, and she is wonderful in the part.
Nearly everything is seen from the perspective of the boy -- which means you don't get the full picture at any one time. There's a brutal gang attack and the boss with his key henchmen, his mistress and the boy flee to an isolated fog-bound island to regroup and plot. There's betrayal and merciless, calculated revenge, and practical killing. The ending, needless to say, is not pleasant...except, perhaps, for the boss. The boy, at least, survives.
The film is gorgeous to look at and beautifully lit and photographed. The DVD transfer is excellent.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting, and beautiful. A great film!, February 20, 2001
After hearing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Zhang Ziyi compared in acting ability to Gong Li, I decided to find a film of hers. Not only was Shanghai Triad my find, but Zhang Yimou, the director, also direct Zhang Ziyi 2 years ago in a more simple film. Shanghai Triad concerns young Shuishung Tang, who has come to Shanghai on the order of his Uncle. Tang's Uncle is in the employ of a mob boss, who is getting on in years, but is very powerful. After sometime, Young Tang meets Bijou, The boss's mistress. This of course, is Gong Li. Bijou appears very beautiful when we first see her, but after seeing her backstage, we quickly wonder if she has any redeeming qualities. The city life seems to have spoiled her, and she treats young Tang like garbage. It is after a supposed run-in with trouble that the Boss is injured (along with Tang's Uncle), and the Boss, Bijou, Tang, and several of his associates go to a small island to hide. While, there, Bijou and Tang encounter a widow and her daughter. As she begins to talk and play with the widow and her daughter, Bijou's haughty attitude seems to disappear, and we see the woman she could have become had she not gone to shanghai. The widow and her daughter are almost sentiments to what life could have been like for Bijou: carefree, and almost no troubles like she is in now. The film runs 2 hours long, and you will not believe it when an hour has gone by, becuase of the film's pacing. Gong Li does several wonderful turns, especially in a musical selection called "Moonlight," dressed in Chinese outfit with a delicate pink fan. There is also a cute but touching scene where she and the young widow's daughter do a small duet to a children's song that both know. The ending will leave you either in tears, or feeling empty. For me, it was the former.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Cinematography and Worth Viewing More Than Once, April 2, 2003
Having become a recent fan of Asian cinema (one of my favorites being 3 SEASONS), I found this movie, from its outset, to draw me into the world of Shanghi, China during the 1930s. Created with precision and stunning decor both interior and exterior, the director has crafted the story of a boy who comes to the city to work as a servant for a mafia boss's "Miss." The story progresses over a week's time and is evenly paced. It's strength is found in each scene, which maintained my interest with the careful brilliance and awe of each shot, and the obvious abilities of the film's actors/actress. Highly recommended, especially to the film buff who is looking for a story/visual film that goes beneath the surface. This movie should be in any collection of great films.
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