Academy Award ® and Golden Globe® nominee and winner of the "Best Foreign Film" from the National Board of Review, SHANGHAI TRIAD is a thrilling and sumptuously stylized potboiler about the Chinese criminal underworld of the 1930's from legendary director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers).
Hired to be a servant to pampered nightclub singer and mob moll Xiao Jinbao (Gong Li, Ju Dou, Farewell My Concubine), naive teenager Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao) is thrust into the glamorous and deadly demimonde of Shanghai's crime syndicates. Over the course of seven days, Shuisheng observes mounting tensions as triad boss Tang begins to suspect traitors amongst his ranks and rivals for Xiao Jinbao's affections. Zhang's inventive take on the gangster film is "assured and attention-grabbing" (Variety) and Gong's central performance, "a portrait of a capricious and indulgent woman who gains depth as we watch her -- is one of her finest" (Chicago Tribune).
Hired to be a servant to pampered nightclub singer and mob moll Xiao Jinbao (Gong Li, Ju Dou, Farewell My Concubine), naive teenager Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao) is thrust into the glamorous and deadly demimonde of Shanghai's crime syndicates. Over the course of seven days, Shuisheng observes mounting tensions as triad boss Tang begins to suspect traitors amongst his ranks and rivals for Xiao Jinbao's affections. Zhang's inventive take on the gangster film is "assured and attention-grabbing" (Variety) and Gong's central performance, "a portrait of a capricious and indulgent woman who gains depth as we watch her -- is one of her finest" (Chicago Tribune).
CAST
- Gong Li (Mulan, Coming Home, Memoirs of a Geisha)
- Li Baotian (Forever Love, The Nightingale)
- Wang Xiaoxiao
BONUS FEATURES
- "Trouble in Shanghai" video essay by author Grady Hendrix
- Booklet with new essay by film critic and lecturer John Berra
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Type: Blu-ray/DVD/Digital (New Digital Restorations)
Running Time: 108 minutes
Rating: R
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: 2.0 Stereo
Language: Mandarin with English Subtitles
My Thoughts
Shanghai Triad is a foreign film that centers around a gangster's mistress. Instead of being all about gunfights, we experience the real commitment between Xiao and Shuisheng. Though she is very young and frightened of him, she also develops real feelings. In addition to experiencing a tragic romance, you also get to see the beauty of China. All the characters are really well-developed and fleshed out.
This was a really great film that gives you a glimpse into the lives of of the Chinese mob. Even though I'm not a huge fan of having to read subtitles, this film was definitely worth the eye strain. It earned it's Golden Globe nomination. If you'd like to purchase a copy of this exciting DVD for yourself, you can find it online at Amazon.
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