Set in the twilight gangster world of Shanghai in the Thirties this is a grim but gripping tale of revenge and paranoia seen through the eyes of a naive country boy sent to work for a Triad gang boss. The pivotal character, though, is Bijou (Gong Li), the boss' mistress. When a gang war breaks out the boss (Li Baotian), together with Bijou and the boy (Wang Xiaoxiao) flee to a lonely island. Director Zhang Yimou has created a visually impressive but harsh world of betrayal and deception. The feel of the film is almost grand opera so there's no happy ending guaranteed. Fascinating and colourful.


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