Flowers of Shanghai [DVD]

(NB this is a review of the film itself not of the DVD) Filmed in Shanghainese and partly in Cantonese, Hou Xiao Xian's "Flowers of Shanghai" is an achingly beautiful account of the intimate and, at turns, often tragic world of a flower house, or brothel, in turn of the century Shanghai. Based on a famous nineteenth century Chinese novel (unfortunately not translated into English to my knowledge), it examines the lives of several of the flower girls and their rich clients and examines the cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy as well as the hopes and aspirations of this intimate and highly formal world. In a society where arranged marriage was the norm, the flower houses were often the only place where young men could experiment with romantic love and, contrary to what many people in the West may think, they were not places where the women were simply the victims of male sexual exploitation. Indeed, the women exert a tremendous amount of power and influence over the men and it is often difficult to know just who is exploiting whom. Many male clients were torn between the desire of genuinely finding true love and the fear that their flower girl was just using them to buy herself out, whilst the flower girls feared that they couldn't rely on their male clients - whose declarations of lasting love and support were often only ephemeral and meaningless. Some hoped to marry their rich clients without loving them, some hoped that their rich clients did love them, whilst others simply tried to quietly put away enough money to buy themselves out or support their families. At the end of the film, one's sympathies lie with both the men and the women in equal measure, as one comes to realise that they are all victims of the same stifled and repressive system, where manners and formality reigns and true feelings remain unexpressed. Hou Xiao Xian's film makes use of long static shots (his trademark) and formal fade outs and, together with the wonderfully haunting soundtrack, it is a wonderful, hypnotic, work of art. The whole film creates an illusion of a static and unchanging world, untouched by the events that are going on outside, where the male clients come to escape from the realities of their existence, to smoke opium, socialise, play drinking games and visit their flower girls. The whole film is like a dream, but it is a heart-rending dream in which the women are imprisoned and from which they, one day, wish to escape. Each frame is exquisitely beautiful and the whole effect of this film is to draw you in into this illusory world where time seems to stand still. One gets the feeling that Hou Xiao Xian's visual style and use of camerawork has matured somewhat from his earlier films, as here it is more assured and confident and he has produced a poignant and beautiful work of art. Certainly one of the best films I have seen in recent years, I would recommend this film to anyone who loves film or who simply wants to have an insight into this fascinating and complex culture.

This is a period piece drama and they paid great attention to detail (a major + for such films). The spoken language is almost entirely in Cantonese/Shanghainese, which is on the relative decline in modern China but appropriate for the setting. The sets are detailed and authentic.There is no 'dumb protagonist who needs everything explained to them,' so you are dropped into a setting and left to figure things out on your own. Because of the care taken in authentic and meaningful sets and dialogue, this works fine.The film is presented kind of like a play, and you can see stageplay influences in the way the sets are presented and used, as well as how the plot advances (via scenes). The story focuses entirely on what amounts to a Shanghai escort service so there are a few repeat sets, relatively few characters, and a lot of drama. The drama is presented realistically and the dialogue makes sense; no weird, cheesy, fake soap opera stuff. They manage a few genuine surprises.It is a character story with a relatively slow pace, but the immersion is quite good and it doesn't waste your time, so you don't mind spending it.Wife loved it.

You can't go wrong with the Criterion Collection for sound and picture quality as well as film selection

Actually this film is 3 1/2 stars in my book. I loved the book "The Sing-Song Girls of Shanghai" by Han Bangqing on which this film is based. The film takes such a small slice from the book that it really diminishes the story in the film which is not simple. I had no problem with the cinematography or the pace, but most of the humor from the book is gone. The film takes itself a little too seriously and therefore is flat footed. Most of the characters are missing, understandably, but you get no back story or tangential developments which are very ironic and important to later developments in the book. Also the piquant and poignant situations involving other key characters are missing. It is the inter relationships with patron/courtesan, fellow patron and fellow courtesan that are most interesting in the book and barely present in the film. Having read the book twice I can appreciate the story the movie is visually attempting, but it is too insular and brief. It will take many more readings to mine the treasures and complexities of "The SingSong Girls of Shanghai". The movie is thin, as the book is not. You can obtain the book through Amazon "first translated by Eieen Chang,revised and editedby Eva Hung". It is not easy reading. All that being said I did enjoy the movie and it is in my library of films, but again the book is the key to understanding the film version.

Loved the scenes, acting, dialogue.

Found this drama of wheeler, dealer ladies in a Shanghai ( brothel?) quiet absorbing, once I got into it.I will definitely have to watch it again, as I'm not sure if I took it all in first time around.It's all set inside,& there's no action to really talk about.Typical good print from Criterion.The extras include an excellent analysis of the movie from Tony Ryan's.

magnifique film sur les maisons de prostitution à la fin du 19 été siècle. Plans séquences, couleurs superbes, film sur les rapports de pouvoir , d'argent, de trahison amoureuse. Film pictural, on a le souffle coupé de tant de beauté.

Je me croyais amateur de cinéma asiatique, mais là, cette succession de scène intimistes s'apparente plus à du théâtre filmé qu'à ce que j'affectionne... La qualité de l'image (BR) est à mon avis déplorable (hormis la colorimétrie). Certes l'allusion sociologique a son intérêt, mais ça n'est pas ce que je recherche au cinéma.. à réserver à un public très très averti donc.

Contrairement à certains critiques, cette édition absolument exemplaire, nous entraine dans un milieu très particulieret une ambiance des plus recherchées que nous occidentaux , ne connaissons pas ! Les costumes et les décors sontsplendides, les actrices magnifiques !

Incompatible (DRM?, anti-copie?) avec mon lecteur Samsung. Bonus lisible mais pas le film. Testé sur 2 exemplaires et lecteur en ordre de marche (acceptant tous les autres blu rays en ma possession)