2022 Blind Spot Series: Flowers of Shanghai

 

Based on the novel The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai by Han Bangqing with translation by Eileen Chang, Hai Shang Hua (Flowers of Shanghai) is the story of four late 19th Century courtesans who work in a brothel in Shanghai as they deal with its atmosphere and false beauty. Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien and screenplay by Chu Tien Wen, the film is an exploration of a world where four women are part of this world of decadence as they do whatever they can to buy their way out. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Michiko Hada, Michelle Reis, Carina Lau, Jack Kao, Rebecca Pan, Vicky Wei, Simon Chang, Hsuan Fang, Luo Tsai-Erh, Annie Shizuka Inoh, and Hsu Ming. Hai Shang Hua is an intoxicating yet offbeat film from Hou Hsiao-Hsien.

Set in 1884 Shanghai, the film revolves around the life of four courtesans working and living at a brothel as they deal with regular clients and a decadent lifestyle as they’re all eager to leave this brothel. It is a film that doesn’t have much of a structure as it mainly focuses on the many things that goes on at a brothel from dinners with a lot of drinks, food, and smoking opium with a courtesan. Yet, Chu Tien Wen’s screenplay is loose as it plays more into the individual lives of these courtesans and some of the rich clients they’re with as there’s no sexual activity shown but rather conversations with these women wanting to leave this whole business and start a new life outside of the brothel. The first act essentially serves as an introduction to four of these women who all work in different enclaves such as Crimson (Michiko Hada), Jasmin (Vicky Wei), Emerald (Michelle Reis), and Pearl (Carina Lau) who all endure their own drama with Crimson and Jasmin being rivals for the affections of Master Wang (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) who leaves the older Crimson in favor of the younger Jasmin who works at a different enclave as do Emerald and Pearl who deal with other men and such.

Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of his approach to telling the story as it is set entirely inside a room whether it’s in a dining room or a room for one of the courtesans as it is shot entirely in studio soundstages. Hsiao-Hsien’s direction also play into a period of time where the dialect of Shanghainese is prominent while there are also a role of gender politics that play throughout. Hsiao-Hsien’s approach to compositions is straightforward yet he never uses any close-ups nor does he zoom in or out to get something. Instead, Hsiao-Hsien places the camera into a medium-wide shot to get coverage of the room where he maintains an intimacy but would pan at times on whoever is talking. This approach would allow Hsiao-Hsien to have the camera gaze around with a lot of long shots that occur throughout as it play into the drama. There are a few moments where a character would look at an object of something as there’s only 38 shots in a film with a 113-minute running time. It is an approach that is hypnotic though it is a flawed style as it does make the film’s pacing a bit sluggish though it works due to the setting and how it play into the drama. Overall, Hsiao-Hsien crafts a rapturous yet somber film about the lives of courtesans at a late 19th century brothel in Shanghai.

Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bing does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of available and low-key lighting to help play into the dream-like look of the rooms as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Liao Ching-Sung does nice work with the editing as it is largely fade-to-black cuts that help play into the somewhat episodic-tone of the film. Production designer Hwarng Wern-Ying and co-art director Tsao Chih-Wei do brilliant work with the look of the rooms as well as the dining hall to play into its intimacy as well as allowing its courtesans to showcase their personalities in the room. The sound work of Tu Duu-Chih is excellent for its natural approach to the sound as it is largely straightforward to capture the conversations as well as music that is played on location. The film’s music by Yoshihiro Hanno is amazing for its usage of traditional Chinese instrumentation in the string arrangements as well as some somber orchestral pieces that play into the drama as it is a highlight of the film.

The film’s superb ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Hsu Ming as Master Tao, Annie Shizuka Inoh as a young courtesan in Golden Flower, Luo Tsai-Erh as an elder client in Master Hong who helps Pearl in some business dealings involving another courtesan and a young master, Hsuan Fang as a young courtesan in Jade who is in love with a young client, Simon Chang as a young master in Zhu Shuren who is in love with Jade, Jack Kao as Master Luo who helps Emerald in gaining her freedom, and Rebecca Pan in a fantastic performance as Auntie Huang as a brothel madam who runs the enclave that Jade and Pearl work at. Vicky Wei is excellent as Jasmin as a young courtesan from the East Hexing enclave who has become popular as she’s also wooed Master Wang in the hopes that he becomes her husband after his falling out with Crimson.

Michelle Reis is brilliant as Emerald as the courtesan from Shangren enclave who was brought in as a child where she yearns to be free as she finds a man who isn’t just willing to help her be free but also give her something more. Carina Lau is amazing as the courtesan Pearl who works at the Gongyang enclave with Jade and Auntie Huang as someone who acts more like a businesswoman than a typical courtesan while she would also play a key role in dealing with young courtesans. Michiko Hada is incredible as Crimson from the Huifang enclave as a courtesan who once the lover of Master Wang yet is dealing with competition from Jasmin as well as dwindling business where she would spend time doing other things that would eventually upset Master Wang. Finally, there’s Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in a phenomenal performance as Master Wang as a quiet man of wealth who has ended his affair with Crimson in favor of the younger and more popular Jasmin where he deals with what he wants but also feeling like he owes Crimson something as a way to clear her debt where he finds himself confused and angry over not just Crimson’s other activities but also revelations about Jasmin herself.

Hai Shang Hua is a sensational film from Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Featuring a great ensemble cast, intoxicating visuals, a loose yet simple premise, and a hypnotic music score. The film is definitely an unconventional yet engaging look into the life of courtesans in late 19th Century Shanghai as they deal with having to please wealthy men and yearning to be free from their decadent world. In the end, Hai Shang Hua is a phenomenal film from Hou Hsiao-Hsien.

Hou Hsiao-Hsien Films: (Cute Girls) – (Cheerful Wind) – (The Green, Green Grass of Home) – (The Sandwich Man) – (The Boys of Fengkuei) – (A Summer at Grandpa’s) – (The Time to Live and the Time to Die) – (Dust in the Wind) – (Daughter of the Nile) – (A City of Sadness) – (The Puppetmaster) – (Good Men, Good Women) – (Goodbye South, Goodbye) – (Millennium Mambo) – (Café Lumiere) – (Three Times) – Flight of the Red Balloon - To Each His Own Cinema-The Electric Princess Picture House - (The Assassin (2015 film))

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