Review of Shanghai Triad (1995) by Walter X — 29 Nov 2007

Interesting look at the Shanghai mobsters during the 1930s. Yimou(one of my favourite directors) gives as a different outlook on the gangland, by using the perspective a little boy who serves the crime boss his mistress.

This gives him the opportunity to avoid te regular conventions about mobsters movie's and shows the corruption it has on what use to be a little country girl, this fact gives the ending mixed emotions and feelings.

Gong Li is wonderful and also all the other actors do a fine job. Cinematography is interesting as always with Yimou but this time it did not really work for me it made it somehow to kitsch for me. The soundtrack and the use and purpose of it in these movie is really gorgeous.

Pace of the movie is slow in the good sens of it, and speeds up in the end like it is suppose to, to a nice climax.