Shanghai Dreams

the story takes place in inland china in the 70's. it shows the life of a middle class family relocated to the inland factory by the communist party. these people who were originally from shanghai, consider life in the mountainous town to be futureless for themselves and their children. the father in particular takes out some of his frustration on his daughter, who is just blooming and is in love with a young man.

this movie works on several levels. it shows the conflict between the parents and the young woman, it shows the secret life of her social age, it discuss's the cultural revolution (the kids dance to western music) happening in china about that time as contrasted to the staid and solid existence of a factory worker. the movie does critique the communist government, but in an elliptical manner, since i guess it does have to pass the censors in china. but i think that works to it's credit.

this movie shows a complete and very accurate view of china in this time period. the houses, the kitchen, the school, the way they dress and their aspirations, the attitude of the parents and the children, it is all spot on. my only negative would be that the storyline for the young girl is somewhat overly dramatic. it is as if the director started by focusing on her and then shifts to a more general broad view of life. i especially enjoyed the acting of the father and overall i thought it was very realistic and well shot.

i highly recommend this movie.

In good company such as "Broken Flowers" which won the "Grand prix" at Cannes this year, "Shanghai dreams" brought home the "Prix du jury" which it well deserves. The movie has little to do with Shanghai except as a backdrop. The story takes place in Guiyang in the province of Guizhou in the '80s.

The centre character of the movie, Qinghong (the Chinese title of the movie), is a bright, sensitive and sensible teenage girl who moved with her family from modernised coastal Shanghai to the more backwards interior 10 year ago. Her father was initially happy to be a worker participating in the strategic scheme to form a "third line of defence" in the event of war against the Soviet Union, but soon started to blame her mother for persuading him into this folly. He became bitterer every day as Shanghai prospered and longed to return at the first available opportunity which, unfortunately, seemed elusive.

This historical background adds another dimension to the familiar and universal story of general gap and family strife. Added to this is social and class conflict, when Qinghong develops a romantic attachment to a young local factory worker. There are also subplots that give the audience insightful glimpses, through various well-depicted character, into the life of the industrial-rural community.

The movie starts at a characteristically slow pace, but picks up momentum towards the end with a tinge of a suspense thriller (just a tinge though). It has a solid ensemble cast, mesmerising photography of the bleak but character-rich landscape and great direction. Thoughtful attention to details is very evident in, for example, some of the simple scene of family dinner. There are also crisp montages (particularly towards the end) that tell the story in a remarkably efficient and interesting way.

"Shanghai dreams" is one of those movies that starts feeling a bit slow but gets more and more engrossing once you get into it. You come out with a feeling that your experience has been enriched. It's a movie that you would want to talk about afterwards.

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

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.

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.