I rented this thinking it was an action blockbuster starring Zhang Ziyi. I couldn't have been further away from the truth. What we have here is an artsy, exquisitely beautiful movie set in 30s Shanghai, with an almost cryptic plot. It portrays the political conflict of China and Japan back then from the personal lives of a handful of people that were actively involved from both sides. I've always been interested in China's history, (especially about Sino-Japanese stuff) and this movie gave a rather interesting perspective and some insight into it. The cinematography and technical camerawork is absolutely charming, matching the relatively slow pace very well. It's a real moody and depressing film, accented by the ubiquitous violet tinge on the picture. The big band music also compliments the film rather nicely at some parts. I was so immersed in the movie, it really felt I was in the time period.
There were a lot of great scenes, most without or have very little dialog. The acting was impressive since you can really feel what the characters were feeling or thinking. Their insecurities, fears, hopelessness of the situation. There was a really long scene where the camera was just panned up close on an actor's face, and at the end a tear streamed down his cheek. Even though it was just a simple scene, his face just screamed of tragic melancholy. The ending dance scene was just superb. An excellent work of art, this is what film is all about to me.
4/5 stars
IMDB
