Rating: 
Summary: Not his best but nevertheless GONG LI
Review: Not his best work.. but it is his.. great movie from Zhang but Raise the Red Lantern was much better .. but Gong Li can make any move awesome.. to Live is another great one for those who want to see a great actress at work. Definate must buy for any Gong Li fan or Zhang Yimou fan.
Rating:
Summary: I LIKE THIS MOVIE
Review: OH THE MOVIE IS VERY GOOD,YOU NEVER SEEN,IT IS BETTER THEN HAPPY TOGETHER.YOU HAVE TO SEE.
Rating:
Summary: "You will die as white as a lily."
Review: The film, "Shanghai Triad" from Chinese director, Yimou Zhang, is a week in the life of 14 year-old Shuisheng Tang--a country boy who is sent from the provinces to live in decadent Shanghai in the 30s as a servant to a glamourous nightclub singer named Bijou (Li Gong). Bijou is the beautiful, spoiled, petulant, bored mistress of "The Boss"--arguably the most powerful man in Shanghai and head of the Tang family triad. Bijou, who is prone to unpredictable temper tantrums, isn't thrilled to have yet another member of the Tang family in her presence, and so Shuisheng becomes the recipient of Bijou's sporadic cruelty and spiteful mirth.Shuisheng is told by his Uncle Lui that the Boss surrounds himself with Tang family members, and serving "Miss" is Shuisheng's chance to be "somebody" in Shanghai. Uncle Liu instructs Shuisheng--and tells him basically--that a servant is to be unobtrusive, subservient and the recipient of whatever treatment is doled out. It's clear that Shuisheng has landed in the middle of a very bad situation, and he is both fascinated and terrified by the exquisitely beautiful Bijou. Although Shuisheng actually has very few lines in this film, his feelings are mirrored in his eyes. As a servant, he can't express his feelings or even show them, but his eyes never lie. His situation is complicated by his Uncle's obsequience that covers only contempt for Bijou. Shuisheng isn't really capable of the sort of duplicity his Uncle has mastered. While Shuisheng's is fascinated with Bijou, he isn't mature enough to analyze her behaviour--that's for the viewer to do. She is obviously a bitterly unhappy woman--nothing more or less than a exotic pet kept in a gilded cage by a man old enough to be her grandfather. Her unhappiness shows in her random cruelties, and in the humilation she suffers from being Tang's mistress. The Boss may have installed her in a beautiful home, but she's there to serve--only as long as the Boss wills it, and she may be a nightclub singer, but her songs are picked for her, and the Boss troops his friends to her performances so they can envy him. As the precariousness of Bijou's situation becomes clearer, she becomes a more sympathetic character. "Shanghai Triad" is not widely accepted as Yimou Zhang's best film (with Li Gong), and indeed it is not an easy thing for me to select an Zhang/Gong collaboration as my absolute favorite--"Ju-Dou," "Raise the Red Lantern," "Red Sorghum"--other Zhang films which star Li Gong--are all perfect, unforgettable films--no argument there. However, of them all, "Shanghai Triad" has a special appeal for me. It is the character of Bijou and the relationship she has with Shuisheng that makes "Shanghai Triad" my favourite Yimou Zhang film. Critics blasted "Shanghai Triad" for containing too many scenes with Li Gong singing. I thought the nightclub scenes were integral to the story, and I didn't consider this overdone. Seeing the beautiful Li Gong dressed up in rather ridiculous outfits singing rather pathetic little songs that pleased the Boss served to underscore her position as the 'pet'--she performed only to please, and amuse, and then her use was ended. There is a sort of inevitability to this film, and the sense of the inescapable and hopelessness of one's fate looms throughout the film. Visually, the film was stunning. Some of the photography--especially in the island scenes--were some of the best I've ever seen--displacedhuman.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, yet the most depressing movie I've ever seen.
Review: The story is told from the view point of a young, country boy, Wang Xiaoxiao. He is hired by his uncle to work for Gong Li, the adorable and sexy cabaret singer. Through several days, the plot develops to finally give us a glimpse of each character's possible future oucome. Gong Li, at the end, succumbs to her heart and gives good advice to Wang X. By the same token, the boy grows to like her as well. The ending of the movie is one of the most tragic and depressing. Wang Xiaoxiao is being held upside down from the boat's mast. He shakes himself and we see several pieces of money fall from his pockets and into the sea. A probable symbolic gesture that he will end up like his uncle? I still can't stop thinking what finally happened to that little boy. See this movie only if you have a heart of iron.
Rating:
Summary: Decadent, Cool and Highly Enjoyable
Review: This is a movie I think people either like a lot or dislike a lot. I've seen it twice in movie houses and now three times on DVD. It's a cool film, decadent to the core and with only one really likeable character, a 14 year old boy. I'm one of those who like it a lot.
The boy is brought to Shanghai (in the 1930s) by his gangster uncle to work in the "family" of a powerful, aging drug boss. The drug lord's mistress, a nightclub singer, is played by Gong Li. The boy is assigned to fetch and carry for her. Gong Li plays her as a willful, beautiful, selfish and perhaps overly confident courtesan. Gong Li sings and dances several times as the star of the nightclub, and she is wonderful in the part.
Nearly everything is seen from the perspective of the boy -- which means you don't get the full picture at any one time. There's a brutal gang attack and the boss with his key henchmen, his mistress and the boy flee to an isolated fog-bound island to regroup and plot. There's betrayal and merciless, calculated revenge, and practical killing. The ending, needless to say, is not pleasant...except, perhaps, for the boss. The boy, at least, survives.
The film is gorgeous to look at and beautifully lit and photographed. The DVD transfer is excellent.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, interesting picture of Shanghai in its glory
Review: This is a well-made, wonderful film. It's much more interesting the than the tired american "mafia gangster" genre. As with all of his works, the director uses metaphors. The story below the obvious story is the real gem here. Even more entertaining than his "Raise the Red Lantern"
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Summary: One of my favorites...
Review: This movie was simply fantastic! The acting and scenery were all there. Gong Li is always wonderful. I dont want to spoil it so if you love Gong Li, or havent had the pleasure, please be sure to check this one out. You will not be dissapointed. There is action and some touching spots. This one too kept me guessing.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous and heart-breaking. 5 stars.
Review: This would be your regular 30's gangster flick, albeit a gorgeous one, but for a single reason: Gong Li. Watching the goings-on register on her face is enough to elevate this story from sad to tragic. This film is suble and graceful and epic, and superior to any of Hollywood's takes on the genre that I recall. Six stars if it was possible.
Rating:
Summary: Godfather of Shanghai
Review: 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.
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.
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.
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.
Performances are excellent, especially Gong li giving her very best. Also portrayal of the realisticly drawn chinese godfather is remarkable.
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.
Zhang yimou and gong li. A great chemistry on screen.
Rating:
Summary: Chinese Godfather
Review: Wow, it always amazes me to see something that is both incredibly beautiful and incredibly violent. The filming is fantastic. Rich gold tones throughout the movie. The sound track is beautiful. Gong Li is fantastic as always. And all this rich, and even serene imagery is the back drop of a violent struggle for power among drug lords.
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