THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603290750
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A PETULANT GUN MOLL, the favorite of the boss, is lavished with all kinds of feathers and jewels until she cheats on him by making whoopee with one of his younger hirelings.
It's a triad, or a triangle, that is a familiar one to all societies and particularly to all movie cultures. It gets a supremely visual and unique treatment in ``Shanghai Triad,'' the latest film to come from director Zhang Yimou, a film creator who has become a justifiable favorite with local movie fans because of his quite compelling film dramas ``The Story of Oiu Ju'' and ``To Live,'' and his stunning ``Raise the Red Lantern.'' Yimou is, above all, a fine storyteller and his plots cross the lines of social cultures.
With ``Shanghai Triad,'' however, it is in the realm of plotting that he falls short - producing beauty for beauty's sake more than for that of drama. This is a gorgeous film to watch - complete with misty sunsets and the mystique of the Orient in the seemingly distant 1930s. On the other hand, it lacks the epic quality of the director's early films. It chooses, instead, to tell a familiar story and to do it simply and directly. This time we can relax with Yimou and let our eyes do the work.
Gong Li, the most ravishing female star to come from the Orient in film history, plays Xiao Jinbao, ``Jewel,'' a '30s pampered prostitute who fancies herself queen of the theater. In a Las Vegas-style revue she prances in red feathers and skimpy costumes as she warbles the latest tunes on the Shanghai hit parade.
With lips pursued, she creates a spoiled, petulant woman who takes her favors for granted even to the point that she thinks she can get away with an affair with the younger henchman, Song, played with preppy spectacles by Shun Chun. Li Baotian creates a menacing, all-knowing and all-powerful presence as the boss - a cool godfather.
The plot is so simple that it is almost laughable but the attention of 1930s detail allows the difference in time to cover much. Things come to an abrupt stop, though, when the boss and his clan have to hide on a remote island. Things get pretty quiet, and even the glorious photography is hard-pressed to keep things moving.
Basically, this is a conventional gangster film - prettified with sumptuous photography with the gory crime kept off-camera. The story is seen through the naive eyes of a 14-year-old boy who is Gong Li's new servant - a country boy who is amazed at the big-time crime that is all around him.
The film well deserved its Academy Award nomination for cinematography. (It lost to ``Brave-heart''). It is not well-liked in China, however. Consequently, it was not entered in the ``foreign film'' competition.
See ``Shanghai Triad'' for its glorious imagery and for the presence of the great star Gong Li. The plot will not strain your mind. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Gong Li plays Xiao Jinbao, a pampered prostitute of the '30s in
``Triad.''
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Shanghai Triad''
Cast: Gong Li, Li Baotian, Shun Chun
Director: Zhang Yimou
Screenplay: Bi Feiyu
MPAA rating: R (sexual situations)
Mal's rating: Three stars
Location: Naro in Norfolk
by CNB