An Oscar nominee for it's brilliant cinematography, and a Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film (lost to Les misérables), this film is directed by Zhang Yimou and stars Gong Li. They worked previously on five films: Red Sorghum, Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, The Story of Qui Ju and To Live.14-year old Shuisheng (Wang Xiao Xiao) is brought in from the country to serve the Boss' mistress Bijou (Gong Li), who he can't control.Shuisheng soon finds that she is not a nice person, and he gets back at her when he can.I especially liked the bar scenes where Bijou performed. It had the right mix of beautiful costumes and smokiness.But, this was a gangster picture, so things end badly for some.

Zhang Yimou's film about power play, loyalties and betrayal was adapted by Bi Feiyn from the aptly named novel "Gang Law", written by Li Xiao. The film focuses on a young boy whose family name wins him the honour of working for the most powerful crime boss in Shanghai, Tang. Little Shuisheng finds himself landed with the thankless task of being personal servant to the bosses number one girl, "Bijou" (or "Miss" to anyone else). He soon learns how unjust the world is when his uncle is murdered by a rival gang and his mistress treats him like dirt.Yimou cleverly manipulates the audience, making us fond of characters whom we turn away from later, and endearing us to others whom we despised early on. The central character, "Bijou", is convincingly played by Gong Li. Throughout most of the movie she is quite easy to dislike, and it is only near the end of the film that we are allowed to develop some belated compassion for her. Shuisheng remains a rather naive pawn until ti's all too late, while the real villains who are responsible for creating the monsters they then self-righteously destroy, rear their ugly heads at the very last. Young Wang Xiaoxiao plays well the role of the green Tang, Shuisheng, while other support comes from Li Baotian as Tang the crime boss and Sun Chun as Song.Zhang Guangtion provides a charming, melodic score and Art Directors Huang Xingming and Ma Yongming recreate pre-war Shanghai brilliantly. Unfortunately editor Du Yuan lets us down and "Shanghai Triad" suffers from over-length, with Yimou tending to excessively indulge on occasion. Otherwise this is an interesting study of a very different culture.Monday, March 3, 1997 - Hoyts Croydon

Shanghai Triad never gains momentum from a slow start and languid pacing until it eventually fizzles out.Gong Li looks superb and director Zhang Yimou's attention to detail and stylistic conceits never fail to impress. But the plot is overly simplistic and the characters never rise above a narrative bogged down with one dimensional characters and clichéd situations. You get the feeling Yimou was ready for something different in his career and Gong Li had played one too many parts under his direction.That said, it is entertaining without ever attaining the high standards of previous collaborations.

Here's something you don't see every day - a mobster movie that focuses on the evil of criminals, instead of their coolness. "Shanghai Triad" shows you how mob violence destroys the life of a gangster's moll and endangers her innocent, fresh-from-the-country servant. It's exactly the kind of story you wouldn't see in a Hollywood movie - which is, I suppose, why we watch this weird foreign stuff!Gong Li is, as ever, forceful and compelling, with a role that's infinitely more interesting than what America's "lead" actresses usually get. She's very glamorous here, and totally unlike the peasant characters she played in "To Live" and several other films. What a wonderful, versatile actress.The film's other strengths include gorgeous, award-winning cinematography, interesting point-of-view shots, and an effective shift from an urban to a country setting that's pulled off very smoothly. It's a shame that this is the last film that director Zhang Yimou and Gong Li made together, but at least it caps off their collaboration on a high note.