Shanghai Dreams

While flicking through some random TV channels i stumbled onto Shanghai Dreams. The main character Qinq Hong's yearning for freedom from her father is expressed by Red High Heels (made me think of Wizard of Oz) The lightness of touch at the beginning seeks to help absorb the viewer into the Story. The Director works well in forcing us to empathise with an initially ogre like father, the frustrations of being sold a lie are all too obvious. I did feel that Qinq's best friend could have been given more time, also the Wrist Cutting scene lacked impact and realism, Back on her Sewing Machine sitting bolt upright?

I would also agree about confusion at the end, who was executed? was it the Prisoners or the Family

Qing Hong, 青紅 is a film that captures this strong innocence and sadness that is rarely seen in modern films these days. When I first watched the film I thought the father (played by AnLian Yao, 姚安濂) was a bastard. But on the second viewing, and knowing the course of events, I understand more of why he is the way he is. AnLian Yao's performance was also striking and effective. YuanYuan Gao 高圓圓 portrays Qing Hong seemingly effortlessly and with a melancholy that is heart wrenching. She has this beauty that isn't forced and shines on screen.

I liked how the rich historical backdrop of the movie played second to the emotional lives of the characters involved. Though the times may be different now, the characters still speak clearly to me the same pain and hope that exists today.

This film was truly enjoyable to watch.

Men have been a plague on women's lives ever since... well ever since there were men. Things have been getting somewhat better, but not by much. Not everywhere. 80s China was not a good place to be a young woman. Frankly it was not a good place for anybody, but women had it worse, as always. It's grim, it's gray, it's depressing, hopeless, abject poverty. It is 80s China in a god-forsaken place where some idealistic couples were duped into volunteering for the betterment of the country and their futures. The party lied to them and now they are stuck. What else is new in Communist China? I wonder if it was also punishment for having a second child. Surely the one child policy had been in place by then.

Qing Hong (which is actually the movie's title) has an awful dad who makes her life miserable. He is miserable. In his narrow view he actually wants what's best for his daughter. And it's gutting me that he is right. I felt it in my bones right from the start. I think young girls are better off swearing off boys and working towards their futures, especially when possibilities are limited. Choosing the first boy that pays attention to you is a recipe for disaster. You are gambling with your life. And we know you cannot date and experiment in 80s China as a woman. But of course these parents don't have the language or the understanding to explain all these things to her. Dad locks her up or follows her around anywhere. Classic dad right?

Of course I had no idea how much I would be proven right and I did not want that painful lesson on Qing Hong. She actually believed in the promises, not as much as her best friend Xiao Zhen, but enough to regret for a lifetime.

To their credit these parents actually stand by their daughters the best they can. I was dreading the worst when it all comes to a head, but we're still given a small glimmer of hope for them at the end.

Capital punishment sounds about right.

Qing Hong gives a great historic insight in the Chinese life in the 70's. Unlike films like 'Das Leben der Anderen' and 'Hotel Rwanda' Wang achieves this with a good story. Even though the films mentioned above are realistic, Wang tells the story from the everyday live perspective and I feel it makes it easier for the audience to connect with it. I also think the film isn't made too dramatic like 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'Das Leben der Anderen' tend to be. Of course it is dramatic, but it isn't like you're watching pure fiction. This film had a thorough impact on me, considering the fact that I'm writing this comment a year after I've seen it. I just saw Beijing Bicycle, which is supposed to be better than Qing Hong (I read a review somewhere), and it made me think of Qing Hong, since they're both films directed by Wang. To make a long story short: great film with an interesting historic touch to it.

8/10

The reviews calling this film boring and unrealistic show the grip Hollywood has on cinema audiences. One of the best features about non Hollywood cinema, particularly Asian cinema, is a fearless adherence to telling a story without a fairytale ending or some heartwarming relief. Shanghai Dreams explores a number of themes, such as adolescent rebellion, sexual liberation in 80s China and parental wishes and techniques. It's an epic and absorbing tale told using realistic and often bleak cinematography, in a hilly Chinese inland countryside that seems to be forever beset by fogs and rain. Although the near 2 hour length means it is exhaustingly bleak and leaves one emotionally drained by the end.