Starring Gong Li, Leslie Cheung, Kevin Lin. Directed by Chen Kaige. Written by Shu Kei. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Subtitles
This is the film banned by the Chinese government for erotic content, drug use and some very subtle metaphorical references most of which I'm sure I missed. It was more likely reflex action on their part, since they tend to ban Kaige's films, such as the Cannes Film Festival winner Farewell My Concubine, which also starred Gong Li and Cheung. The erotic content is over-stylized and primarily clothed, which would not be at all out of place in a North American soap opera.
The story begins in 1911 when the emperor abdicates after 2000 years of Imperial rule. The wealthy Pang family in rural China has two young children, one of which is spitfire daughter Ryui. An orphan child Zhongliang, is saved from the street by his older sister, married to number one son, but becomes a servant to the son by preparing his opium. We are then flashed forward into the early 1920's. For some unknown reason (which is revealed later in the film), Zhongliang (Cheung) has become a gigolo in Shanghai, as part of a gang running a unique scam to shakedown wealthy women looking for a little love. Meanwhile, the elder Pang has died, the brother appears drugged out zombie, so Ryui (Gong) is named as head of the household. Her first move is to fire all her father's and brother's concubines. Naturally, the males of her family want her head. And Zhongliang's crime boss wants him to seduce Ryui to gain access to the family fortune. But the usually cold Zhongliang complicates things by falling for Ryui. And events unfold from there.
The cinematography is fantastic - lush green marshlands, colourful flowers, flickering fires, elaborate streets and alleys in Shanghai are presented with sumptuous beauty. Close-ups of jewelry (which Cheung removes with his mouth, reminiscent of Audrey and her cherry stem in Twin Peaks) and playing cards are among the many symbols used to convey parts of the story. The story is complex and sometimes a little slow moving, but reveals the many forces that conflict the Chinese - loyalty, duty to family and state, the tug-of-war between tradition and progress. Curiously, one is not drawn into the characters emotionally - it is difficult to fully understand their motivations and feelings. And Kaige, by showing that drug use and spurning tradition is dangerous, seems to support conservative morality and family values that should have made the censors happy.
