Flowers of Shanghai (海上花, pinyin: hāi shàng huā) is a 1998 film directed by Guangdong-born Taiwanese Hou Hsiao-hsien starring Fang Shuan, Hada Michiko, Annie Shizuka Inoh, Jack Kao, Carina Lau, Tony Leung, Rebecca Pan, Michelle Reis and Vicky Wei.
In four elegant brothels (called "Flower Houses") in fin-de-siècle 19th Century Shanghai (Qing dynasty), several affairs are described. The action involves four drunkards, and takes place mostly only in...
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Flowers of Shanghai (海上花, pinyin: hāi shàng huā) is a 1998 film directed by Guangdong-born Taiwanese Hou Hsiao-hsien starring Fang Shuan, Hada Michiko, Annie Shizuka Inoh, Jack Kao, Carina Lau, Tony Leung, Rebecca Pan, Michelle Reis and Vicky Wei.
In four elegant brothels (called "Flower Houses") in fin-de-siècle 19th Century Shanghai (Qing dynasty), several affairs are described. The action involves four drunkards, and takes place mostly only in the dark yellow of the candle light. Preparation and consumption of opium and tea are located in the center of the business concern. Intertitles clear up that Crimson is in Huifang, Pearl is in Gongyang, Emerald is in Shangren and Jasmine is in East Hexing. The relations of the rich gentlemen with the courtesans is partly monogamous and has obligations of many years. The life of the graceful, well-bred girls, who were young when bought, resembles in certain respects a life of slavery. The oppressing social conventions because of they dream to...
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