Film Forum

Director Zhang Yimou
Cast Gong Li, Li Baotian, Wang Xiaoxiao Cuihua
Screenplay Bi Feiyu
Cinematography Lü Yue
1995 | China | Approx. 108 min. | In Mandarin, with English subtitles

(1995, Zhang Yimou) Shanghai, 1930. Teenager Wang Xiaoxiao Cuihua leaves the countryside for the big city to work for Triad boss Li Baotian, assigned to look after his mistress Gong Li – a kept woman, who is both an influential queen of the opium dens and a country girl in fear of her life. Bought by the Godfather when she was ten years-old, she is now the source of rivalry and influence over two gangs leaders. From the director of Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern. In Mandarin, with English subtitles.

A FILM MOVEMENT CLASSICS RELEASE

Reviews

“It has impeccable flow and balance. And Gong Li's performance -- a portrait of a capricious and indulgent woman who gains depth as we watch her -- is one of her finest.”
– Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

“Compelling and beautifully made – it was shot in dreamlike soft focus by award- winning cinematographer Lu Yue – Shanghai Triad shows an enclosed, separate world that looks incredibly plush and inviting, almost like a storybook palace, but of course is laced with perils. Gorgeous and engaging...”
– Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle