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The Butterfly
Tornado Alley
This review may contain spoilers
"It's easy to cause a problem, but it's difficult to handle one"
Director Zhang Yi Mou and Gong Li explored the opulent and violent lifestyle of gangsters in the 1930's in Shanghai Triad. The film had many of Zhang's trademarks-lush cinematography, stylish sets and costumes, and moody lighting. He also made subtle criticisms of political power structures without directly criticizing the current regime.
Gong Li was gorgeous, expertly styled with luxurious dresses and bold makeup and hair, far removed from her dressed down performances in other Zhang Yi Mou films like Ju Dou. She played Bijou, the old triad boss' mistress. She was the Queen of Shanghai and the queen of this film as well. Most scenes focused on her because the men and the camera could not stay far away from her charismatic aura.
Yet it is not through her eyes we view this story. A fourteen-year-old boy comes to Shanghai to work with his uncle who is one of Boss Tang's men. By virtue of being a Tang, Shuisheng is deemed worthy of being given a job. On his first day he witnesses a drug deal and a murder. His Uncle Lui assigns him to serve the temperamental and cold Bijou. Shuisheng is completely out of his element having never seen a lighter or phone before. The triad has many unwritten rules for behavior that he must learn fast.
Shuisheng rarely speaks yet through his expressive and innocent eyes we are witness to his fear, horror, and contempt for the people around him. Boss Tang believes that a woman's worst problem is not worth his time but a man's smallest one is. Bijou is as much a slave as Shuisheng, regardless of how well dressed and pampered she is.
By Shuisheng's fourth day in Shanghai he is already fleeing the city with the Boss and Bijou after an assassination attempt on the boss' life. They travel to a remote island and are served by a widow, Chihua, and her nine-year-old daughter, Ajiao. At first Bijou does nothing but whine about being bored. Soon she and Shuisheng settle in with the widow and Bijou reveals that she had once been a poor country bumpkin, too. Disturbingly, Boss Tang and his trusted cousin both see in Ajiao, a replacement for the aging Bijou.
Much like Curse of the Golden Flower, by day 7 there would be far fewer people boarding the boat home. Powerful men, regardless of their title or era, tend to be ruthless to those who have shown disloyalty or are no longer of any use. They don't share power or show mercy.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The cinematography was stunning and not even Zhang's best in my opinion. Shanghai was shown in bright garish light and colors. The island with regular people on it, unaware of the danger around them, were shown in soft muted colors and light. Only Bijou's vivid red lips and flashy clothes stood out in the gentle setting. Gentle setting until it wasn't.
Gangsters were not shown in a romantic way. They were shown as the violent criminals that they were. Bijou could be brash and unlikeable, a country bumpkin who had clawed her way into a more lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately, she was not cunning or lucky, both of which you needed to be to survive and move ahead in the vicious world she lived in. She still had a heart and a conscience which were not the necessary weapons needed to be a triad boss' moll. Shuisheng's innocence was irrevocably destroyed with his survival and soul hanging by a thread. As in other of Zhang's films, there was no fighting the one in power, it was a futile and fatal task.
Shanghai Triad was bleak and relentless, allowing only brief moments of sunshine through the darkness. With the exception of Shuisheng, who was a moldable ball of clay, there was no one to truly cheer for. Nearly every character had a menacing plan. I found the story gripping but also emotionally exhausting. Gong Li's sensual and intense performance was one of her most compelling and a persuasive reason to watch the film. As much as her performance glowed, the film's glimpse into the cruel criminal world though beautifully acted and filmed was about as appealing as the corpses left behind by Boss Tang. For me, this is a film worth watching but I would not have the heart to watch a second time.
5/2/23
Gong Li was gorgeous, expertly styled with luxurious dresses and bold makeup and hair, far removed from her dressed down performances in other Zhang Yi Mou films like Ju Dou. She played Bijou, the old triad boss' mistress. She was the Queen of Shanghai and the queen of this film as well. Most scenes focused on her because the men and the camera could not stay far away from her charismatic aura.
Yet it is not through her eyes we view this story. A fourteen-year-old boy comes to Shanghai to work with his uncle who is one of Boss Tang's men. By virtue of being a Tang, Shuisheng is deemed worthy of being given a job. On his first day he witnesses a drug deal and a murder. His Uncle Lui assigns him to serve the temperamental and cold Bijou. Shuisheng is completely out of his element having never seen a lighter or phone before. The triad has many unwritten rules for behavior that he must learn fast.
Shuisheng rarely speaks yet through his expressive and innocent eyes we are witness to his fear, horror, and contempt for the people around him. Boss Tang believes that a woman's worst problem is not worth his time but a man's smallest one is. Bijou is as much a slave as Shuisheng, regardless of how well dressed and pampered she is.
By Shuisheng's fourth day in Shanghai he is already fleeing the city with the Boss and Bijou after an assassination attempt on the boss' life. They travel to a remote island and are served by a widow, Chihua, and her nine-year-old daughter, Ajiao. At first Bijou does nothing but whine about being bored. Soon she and Shuisheng settle in with the widow and Bijou reveals that she had once been a poor country bumpkin, too. Disturbingly, Boss Tang and his trusted cousin both see in Ajiao, a replacement for the aging Bijou.
Much like Curse of the Golden Flower, by day 7 there would be far fewer people boarding the boat home. Powerful men, regardless of their title or era, tend to be ruthless to those who have shown disloyalty or are no longer of any use. They don't share power or show mercy.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The cinematography was stunning and not even Zhang's best in my opinion. Shanghai was shown in bright garish light and colors. The island with regular people on it, unaware of the danger around them, were shown in soft muted colors and light. Only Bijou's vivid red lips and flashy clothes stood out in the gentle setting. Gentle setting until it wasn't.
Gangsters were not shown in a romantic way. They were shown as the violent criminals that they were. Bijou could be brash and unlikeable, a country bumpkin who had clawed her way into a more lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately, she was not cunning or lucky, both of which you needed to be to survive and move ahead in the vicious world she lived in. She still had a heart and a conscience which were not the necessary weapons needed to be a triad boss' moll. Shuisheng's innocence was irrevocably destroyed with his survival and soul hanging by a thread. As in other of Zhang's films, there was no fighting the one in power, it was a futile and fatal task.
Shanghai Triad was bleak and relentless, allowing only brief moments of sunshine through the darkness. With the exception of Shuisheng, who was a moldable ball of clay, there was no one to truly cheer for. Nearly every character had a menacing plan. I found the story gripping but also emotionally exhausting. Gong Li's sensual and intense performance was one of her most compelling and a persuasive reason to watch the film. As much as her performance glowed, the film's glimpse into the cruel criminal world though beautifully acted and filmed was about as appealing as the corpses left behind by Boss Tang. For me, this is a film worth watching but I would not have the heart to watch a second time.
5/2/23
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