American audiences who have only been exposed to the much-admired Zhang Yimou through his work on wuxia films such as Hero or House of Flying Daggers may be surprised to learn that his early career was mostly defined by gentle rural narratives that took modern China to task through examinations of the past. As always, the director was known as a visually sumptuous artist who knew how to use colors and production design in the most impressive manner imaginable. Lovely leading lady Gong Li was also a consistent sight who bewitched Chinese audiences from the time she debuted in Red Sorghum. A major shift in genre for Zhang came about in 1995 with Shanghai Triad based on Li Xiao’s 1994 novel Rules of a Clan. Some believed he would be unable to keep up the critique of China under intense scrutiny and working in the confines of this genre, but he would soon prove it takes more than these obstacles to keep him down. This would be the final collaboration between the director and Gong Li for over a decade, but it serves as a worthy send off to their relationship.
Our glimpse into the fraught war of power comes in the form of young Tang Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao), who has been sent to Shanghai to join his Uncle Liu (Li Xuejian) as an underworld recruit for the triad boss Tang (Li Baotian), a man who keeps family in employment for his protection. While most crime stories might want to follow Shuisheng as he rises up the criminal ladder to some place of power, Shanghai Triad is not interested in this in the slightest. Shuisheng is a wide-eyed “bumpkin” who finds himself caught up in this world over the course of a very eventful week, but all lessons will come in the form of spirit-crushing devastation. Shuisheng is to be the new servant of Bijou (Gong Li), Tang’s mistress and a cabaret singer at the lively nightclub. While only granted power by her relation to Tang, Bijou delights in wielding what little power she does over those beneath her. Over the next few nights Shuisheng will be surrounded by infidelity, disloyalty and murder that will build to a reckoning of treachery.
When violence makes its way to the inner-circle of the organization, a wounded Tang and his closest associates make their way to an island to rest and regroup. It is here where Gong Li really gets to open up and become the center of the film as she is intended to be. The snobbish Bijou comes to relate back to her roots in this new location, as she also grew up with very little in a rural area. Gong Li is effortlessly impressive as both the woman who wants to embrace her narrow-minded new life, but feels a warmth towards Cuihua (Jiang Baoying), a peasant woman with a young daughter, Ajiao. It is painted across her face the realization of the life she could have lived if circumstances had turned out the slightest bit differently. Zhang Yimou very knowingly plays with the color schemes of the palace, an emphasis of red in costuming and lipsticks – not to mention blood – while going to the opposite end of the spectrum during the island life. From her initial introduction to her final destination in this narrative, you find a character who unexpectedly provides the heart of the narrative.
One of the most novel aspects of this feature is how inconsequential Shuisheng is in the grand scheme of things. Even when you believe he is making a monumental turn in the story, you might find yourself surprised by some of the developments. Tang may not be the heart of the film, but his presence is certainly one of the most unsettling, especially when removed from the action through his trademark dark glasses. Li Baotian portrays Tang as an unyielding figure who will not be blindsided and will not chance being betrayed. The final fifteen minutes of this film offers everything you want out of a gangster film including dubious morality, dramatic revelations, betrayals and more. From strictly a surface level, Shanghai Triad is a complex and immensely satisfying exercise in genre, but those who want to explore a bit further beneath the surface may find a lot of pointed criticism to appreciate. Zhang Yimou is one of our finest all-purpose artists, and you owe it to yourself to see the major turning point in his career.
Video Quality
Shanghai Triad comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 derived from a digital restoration. The presentation comes close to appearing pristine, but the restoration looks pretty excellent throughout most of the runtime. There are occasional minor specks of print damage, but overall clarity and detail is mighty impressive. The shots inside the compound specifically are packed with little details in the production design that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. The picture tends to run a bit soft in long shots, likely to be contributed to the source material, but colors are well saturated in a visually splendid way. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a major issue here. This presentation is very beautiful and likely looks better than it ever has before. Film Movement Classics has done a fantastic job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a very capable LPCM 2.0 track in the original Mandarin with optional English subtitles. The wondrous, memorable score sounds great throughout the duration of the film, as it settles you into the emotions of the characters. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm the dialogue, and the track maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as country noises or weather effects are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Film Movement Classics has given this film the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
This Blu-Ray set includes a multi-page booklet featuring the essay “The Boy, The Mistress and The Gangster” by film critic John Berra. The essay provides a great amount of context to the world in which this film was released as well as an analysis of the themes of the story. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Trouble In Shanghai: A twenty-minute piece in which Grady Hendrix delivers a fascinating dissection of the film in voiceover narration complemented by scenes of the film. In this piece the film historian discusses different interpretations of the film, the recycled nature of the story, the limitations of artistry under Chinese censorship and much more.
- Trailers: The new minute-and-a-half trailer for Shanghai Triad is presented here which does a nice job of selling the film. There are also trailers provided for The Wild Goose Lake, Hana-Bi and The Fate of Lee Khan.
Final Thoughts
Shanghai Triad is an impeccably staged and executed crime drama from one of the greatest modern Chinese filmmakers. The film is a visual masterpiece, but the performances from the talented ensemble should not be overlooked either. Zhang Yimou and Gong Li were one of the great pairs to come out of Chinese cinema, and this particular film serves as a strong conclusion to this period of time for them. Film Movement Classics has released a Blu-Ray for this classic tale that features a lovely A/V presentation and a couple of fun supplemental features. Anyone who appreciates a good descent into crime should seek this one out.
Shanghai Triad is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Film Movement Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.