SHANGHAI TRIAD
A film review by Menno Praas
Copyright 1996 Menno Praas
Zhang Yimou, China, 109 min.
Looking for action? Wrong movie. Ever wondered how a fourteen year old boy would feel living amongst Shanghai gang members? This is the movie for you. How does this innocent boy from the Chinese countryside turn up in a violent gang? He happens to be a relative of the godfather of one of the most important gangs in Shanghai in the 1930's. In this capacity he is trusted to be the servant of beautiful nightclub singer Bijou (played by Gong Li). She is the gang leader's concubine, living in every conceivable luxury. The boy gets very close to the gang's daily life. He is aware of violence around him, but seems unable to grasp the reality of it. What he experiences threathens his peace of mind but exceeds his comprehension.
In this movie director Zhang Yimou prefers to suggest the use of force, rather than showing it. He also deliberately leaves out most action, an important ingredient of Western style Coppola and Scorsese mafia movies. During the making of the movie Zhang Yimou was in the process of separating from his partner Gong Li. Despite this, Zhang Yimou offers Gong Li lots of time to expose her beauty and qualities to the public. In my opinion Gong Li fills too many gaps in the scenario by singing a choice of Chinese lovesongs in the nightclub.
Bijou behaves like a spoiled woman. She tries her luck when she is having an affair with the gang's second in command. The gang survives a fierce attack from a rivalling gang. The leader decides to go in tactic hiding. The gang escapes for a couple of days to an island off the coast. Bijou and the boy join them. Bored with the quiet island Bijou has several conversations with a widow, living a primitive, but happy life on the island. In these conversations Bijou re-accepts her own low family background. Suddenly, the movie shifts into action. By accident the boy witnesses the preparations of a new attack on the gang. Now the plot thickens. The final battle takes place outside the view of the camera. We just witness bodies piling up. Meanwhile Bijou is ready to abandon her superficial and luxurious lifestyle and acknowledges her true nature. To me, Gong Li doesn't quite convince in her acting on this point. Finally, as the boy's world completely turns upside down, the story reaches its conclusion.
Menno Praas praas@knoware.nl
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