Shanghai Triad
Starring Gong Li, Li Baotian, Wang Xiaoxiao
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Screens from April 4 at Dendy (Sydney & Brisbane), Kino, Longford (Melbourne), Luna (Perth)
Reviewed by Eva Cheng
Contrary to what the name suggests, Shanghai Triad is not a gangster movie. It is set in Shanghai, early in this century, when China was carved up by imperialists, with a corrupt government hanging on to power amidst widespread suffering which was in stark contrast to the wealth, power and corruption in Shanghai.
But the power of that historical context comes through properly only for a viewer already armed with the basic knowledge. The movie does not attempt to introduce the theme overtly.
Through the story of Xiao Jingbao ("Little Jewel", played by Gong Li) — the favourite mistress of the boss of one of the two gangs dominating Shanghai — the movie seems to be trying to tell a deeper story. Through her superficial life of glitz and glitter as a cabaret performer and her "betrayal" of, and execution by, the gang master Tang (Li Baotian), we see that Xiao is actually totally powerless, though she seems to be in a position of power. Deep down she has a kind heart and does respond to other people's sufferings, despite her surface meanness and vanity.
What draws that side out of Xiao is a teenage boy fresh from the country, Tang Shuisheng (played by Wang Xiaoxiao). It's through Shuisheng's staring eyes that the main story is told, as he leaps from country simplicity and naivety to a world of evil and wealth.
Shuisheng is a member of the Tang clan, to which the triad boss also belongs. Because he is also a Tang, he is trusted to be a personal servant to Xiao. Shuisheng's country clumsiness and ignorance do not make him very attractive to Xiao initially. Nor does Shuisheng find her pride easy to bear, extracting revenge by secretly spitting in her tea.
Despite these satisfying petty acts, Shuisheng can do little to change his plight, brought into the world of the triads when he was aiming merely to earn enough through the job to open a small shop.
A greater depth of Xiao's character appears only when she is brought along by Boss Tang to a remote island, which he has chosen as a hiding place. In a simple rural setting, in interaction with a poor widow and her young daughter, the long repressed more humane side of Xiao is drawn out. She feels nostalgic for a simple but fulfilling life of the past, not under anyone's control.
Most characters in Shanghai Triad are powerless to change their fate, their place in a powerful hierarchy. Such pessimism is reinforced when the widow's daughter is being brought back to Shanghai by Boss Tang to be brought up as a mistress. She agrees to go only when lied to that her mother and Xiao — whose nice clothes and good looks she admires — are waiting for her in Shanghai.
The serenity of the island contrasts starkly with the gaudiness of Shanghai. But the city invades and shatters in the end. The presentation, including an element of exaggerated acting, is typical of older Chinese movies.