Hai shang hua

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Movie
Original title Hai shang hua (海上花)
Country of production Taiwan ,
Japan
original language Cantonese ,
Shanghaiish
Publishing year 1998
length 130 minutes
Rod
Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien
script Eileen Chang (translation),
T'ien-wen Chu ,
Bangqing Han (original)
production Shozo Ichiyama ,
Teng-Kuei Yang
music Yoshihiro Hanno ,
Du-Che Tu
camera Mark Lee Ping-bin
cut Ching-Song Liao
occupation

Hai shang hua ( Chinese  海上花 , Pinyin Hāishànghuā , English Flowers of Shanghai ) is a Taiwanese-Japanese melodrama from 1998 by director Hou Hsiao-Hsien based on The Sing-Song Girls of Shanghai (1894) by Han Bangqing (translation Eileen Chang and Eva Hung). Not uncommon for the director, the film is characterized by a largely lacking external plot, depending on the point of view.

action

In four narrow but elegant flower houses in Shanghai at the end of the 19th century ( Qing dynasty ), several dramas and fates are alluded to (as well as lies and glossed over). The plot is embedded between four drinking parties and banquets of the mostly older masters , only in the dark yellow of the candlelight. The preparation and consumption of opium and tea is the focus of business operations. Subtitles clarify that Crimson belongs to Huifang , Pearl to Gongyang , Emerald to Shangren and Jasmin to East Hexing .

The relationships between the rich gentlemen and their concubines are long-standing and sometimes monogamous . The furnishings of the houses, all clothing and personal belongings are gifts. The life of the graceful, well-bred girls bought young is in some ways like a life in bondage or slavery . The relationship with their own patrons is personal, confidential and very different. The oppressive social conventions because they dream of paying off their debts, or to freedom and a higher status to marry.

After (allegedly) 21 1/2 years the silent master Wang drops the courtesan Crimson in favor of Jasmin, for whom he was on fire within only 10 days. He offers to pay off Crimson's debts. Wang sees himself in multiple ties and between hardening fronts. The dependencies turn out to be bilateral.

Crimson only has Master Wang as a customer and has to use the money to support her entire family. Emerald was once worth $ 100 as a kid . Master Luo wants to buy her out. The prostitute Silver Phoenix is ​​abused by her foster mother. Master Wang has a fit of anger while drunk when he finds out that Crimson is cheating. A contract for Emerald is drawn up and a notary comes to record the inventory. Wang reportedly beats Jasmine, who is allegedly attempting suicide. Jade tries to poison her customer, with whom she swore eternal love. A marriage is then arranged for them. Finally, Crimson prepares an opium pipe for Master Wang in quiet togetherness.

Reviews

"Multiple viewing and impossible patience are required [...] All scenes seem only lit by candles and oil lamps [...] Although we do not leave the cathouse, there is never a hint of sexuality or even passion [...] There is a single musical sequence again and again under the whole film […] I cannot stress the incredible beauty of this film enough ”

- Jeffrey M. Anderson : Combustible Celluloid

“Static and dreary story in a brothel in Shanghai from 1880. The camera work is minimal, so a stage play where the actions take place almost exclusively away from the stage. [...] Very devastating. [...] Only in two scenes does something happen besides dialogue "

- Mark R. Leeper

“I thought [...] I was transported to another world (I know that sounds terribly clichéd, but I can't think of any other director who evokes that feeling to that extent.) Flowers of Shanghai may not be Hous's best Film […] but maybe its most beautiful. [...] highly recommended "

- Moviemartyr.com

"Borderline comatose ( borderline comatose )"

- Lovehkfilm.com

"The room sometimes feels as if it can jump in any direction [...] This is something new in the film ( It's something new in cinema )"

- Kent Jones : Film Comment

Others

Apart from the apertures in the 37 scenes, there is not a single cut in the film. " Order and style are privileged over meaning and action [...] an impersonal style that has nothing to do with the theme or concern of the action," explains Colin Burnett, and: "the various spaces and enclaves lose their distinctiveness [...] finding out Where we are is the game Hous Film asks us to play. ” The film is set only indoors , even the sun can only be guessed at.

Awards

International Cannes Film Festival 1998

Asia-Pacific Film Festival 1998

  • Award in the Best Director category for Hou Hsiao-Hsien
  • Prize in the Best Art Director category for Huang Wen-Ying

Kerala International Film Festival 1999

  • Golden Crow Pheasant for Hou Hsiao-Hsien

The film was proposed for the 71st Academy Awards , but did not participate in the competition.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Flowers of Shanghai (1998). In: The New York Times Online. The New York Times , accessed September 29, 2008 .
  2. ↑ cf. The Sing-Song Girls of Shanghai. In: The New Yorker . The New Yorker , December 26, 2005, accessed September 29, 2008 .
  3. ↑ Jeffrey M. Anderson: Flowers of Shanghai (1998). In: Combustible Celluloid. Retrieved on September 28, 2008 (English): "Multiple views and incredible patience are necessary. [...] Each scene seems to be lit entirely by candles and oil lamps [...] Even though we never leave the brothel, there is never any hint of sex or even passion [...] A single strain of music is repeated over and over throughout the film [...] I cannot stress enough the incredible beauty of this movie "
  4. ^ Mark R. Leeper: Hai shang hua (1998). (No longer available online.) In: rec.arts.movies.reviews. IMDb.com, Inc., 1998, formerly in the original ; accessed on September 28, 2008 (English): “Static and dull story set in Shanghai brothels of the 1880s. The camerawork of this film is minimal and we basically have a stage play in which almost all of the action is offstage. [...] Very downbeat. [...] Only two scenes have any action beyond talk "
  5. ↑ Jeremy Heilman: Flowers of Shanghai (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 1997. In: http://www.moviemartyr.com . October 2001, accessed on September 28, 2008 (English): “I feel […] that I was transported into another world (I realize this is a huge cliché, but I can think of no other director that evokes this feeling so well. ) Flowers of Shanghai probably isn't Hou's best film, […] but perhaps it is his prettiest. [...] highly recommended "
  6. ^ Flowers of Shanghai. In: Lovehkfilm.com. Lovehkfilm.com, accessed September 28, 2008 .
  7. ↑ Kent Jones: Cinema With a Roof Over its Head. (No longer available online.) In: Film Comment. 1999, archived from the original on July 23, 2008 ; accessed on September 27, 2008 (English): “space at times feels as if it could spring into any direction. […] It's something new in cinema “ Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.filmlinc.com
  8. ↑ a b Burnett, see web links: “order and style are privileged over meaning and plot. [...] impersonal style unmotivated by theme or by demands of the plot. […] The various rooms and enclaves lose their distinctiveness […] Locating where we are is a game that Hou's film asks us to play. ” He relates it to Robert Bresson .
  9. ↑ Kirk Honeycutt: 45 Nations Vying For Oscar 45 Nations Vying For Oscar / Number Of Foreign-language Entries Ties… In: The Hollywood Reporter . AllBusiness.com, November 24, 1998, accessed September 29, 2008 .