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Shanghai Triad | Year: 1995 Classification: Foreign Film - Chinese Directed: - Yimou Zhang Actors/Actresses: - Li Gong - Baotian Li A DVD zone GONG LI I'm not so sure that SHANGHAI TRIAD is Zhang Yimou's best movie, I personally prefer the drama HAPPY TIMES. But, what is certain, is that Gong Li gave in this movie one of her most luminous interpretations. The musical score and the singing acts of SHANGHAI TRIAD are a sufficient reason to keep the movie in one's library. Beware, SHANGHAI TRIAD is not your regular action film. The scenes that would have been the highlight of an european or an american movie such as the attack of the Tang headquarter or the siege of the island where the boss of the Tang family have retired, are deliberately absent of the movie or just evoked by shadows. So let's enjoy the always interesting descriptions of the Chinese psychology that reach their highest point in the last scenes of SHANGHAI TRIAD when the gang boss Tang rubs out for a while his eternal smile and condemns the traitors to an inhuman death. Absolutely chilling since the execution of the sentence, that concerns two of the main characters of the film, will not be shown to us. Godfather of Shanghai Wow . A chinese gangster story from the pre revolution times. But ladies and gentlemen, expect no blasting action here. This is a Zhang Yimou film and everything which makes his films great is here.<BR>A young teenager from a village comes to shanghai in order to work in Tang family mansion. ( a powerful underworld family in which he is also a distant relative) He is assigned to serve the boss' mistress called bijou (gong li) and gets the shock of his life in just couple of days.. He witness a shooting even before his arrival to the house later finds himself surrounded with confusing modern world devices like telephone which he has never seen and finally finds only distant relative in the house (uncle lo who brought him) dead.. Add that bijou's arrogance and spoiled behaviour and gang business around the family and you get the picture. We witness those days by the eyes of this young villager boy. Shanghai is where traditional east and modern west meets in china and Yimou captures it best with the nite time shots of the club where bijou works. Tap and cabaret dancing, half western half traditional songs sung in mandarin, dresses. gang members with traditional dresses as well as western style hats, pistols as well as traditional knives all brings the situation to life. <BR>As I mentioned , film is based on a gangster story seen by the eyes of a village boy. But action is rather hiding. Killings and fighting are left the imagination of the viewer but their signs are always there like bloody knives, dead bodies being washed near the pool and blood in the house. These are the moments that the main character witness and we watch the film from his perspective. We also witness the underworld conspiracy and strategic planning and betrayal but again as much as a boy can witness, hear and understand.<BR>As the film goes deeper, characters became more open and visible. For example, bijou's real character starts to come out in the island and her arrogance dissapears. Her relations with the boy and the island villagers bring her back to the roots, the pure and innocent life in the village. Film is actually more oriented on the inner side of the characters instead of totally focusing on a strictly godfather type story. Shanghai represents the sophisticated, dangerous and confusing side of bijou. But island is being her true self. Boy starts to put more faith in her from spitting to her glass of water in shanghai to being a totally loyal servant in island. Yimou captures all these with the simple but effective shots in the island and shanghai. <BR>Performances are excellent, especially Gong li giving her very best. Also portrayal of the realisticly drawn chinese godfather is remarkable.<BR>In sum, shanghai triad is a great film. It may not be a far eastern cinema masterpiece , but it is good enough. A story of love, death,innocence, corruption,faith and betrayal. A chinese godfather type movie from the eyes of a young witness.<BR>Zhang yimou an I LIKE THIS MOVIE OH THE MOVIE IS VERY GOOD,YOU NEVER SEEN,IT IS BETTER THEN HAPPY TOGETHER.YOU HAVE TO SEE. Buy Shanghai Triad at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Shanghai Triad Search with the Priority Search Engine on Shanghai Triad This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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