Flowers of Shanghai

In four elegant brothels, called "Flower Houses", in fin-de-siècle 19th-century Shanghai (Qing dynasty), we see several affairs. Events presumably take place in 1884, a year named in one of the scenes. The action involves four men who live for pleasure pursuing a number of courtesans, and takes place mostly in the light of oil lamps.

The courtesans are known as Crimson, Pearl, Emerald, Jasmin and Jade. Crimson belongs to the Huifang Enclave (薈芳里) brothel. Pearl and Jade work in the Gongyang Enclave (公陽里) brothel. Emerald resides in the Shangren Enclave (尚仁里) brothel, and Jasmin works at the East Hexing Enclave (東合興里) brothel. The relationship between the wealthy patrons and the courtesans are semi-monogamous, frequently lasting many years.

The courtesans are purchased at an early age by the owners of the brothels, known as "aunties". In spite of the trappings of luxury and the wealth surrounding them, the graceful, well-bred courtesans live lives of slavery. The girls, and especially those with less forgiving aunties, are frequently beaten for misbehavior, though such beatings are not seen in the film. Because of the oppressive social conventions the best that the courtesans, known as "flower girls", can hope for is to pay off their debts some day (often by aid of a wealthy patron) or marry into a better social position.

Much of the film concerns the quiet Master Wang who leaves the courtesan Crimson after their 2 and-a-half-year relationship after he is refused her hand in marriage and he fall for the younger courtesan Jasmin. This angers Crimson. He offers to settle Crimson's debts as compensation for leaving her, as he is her only client and her only source of income. Crimson is in dire need of money, as she is the sole provider of her entire family. They agree to a settlement. However, Master Wang still has feelings for Crimson. When he finds out she is having an affair with an actor, he launches into a drunken rage. He agrees to marry Jasmin departs for Guangdong after receiving a promotion. It is later revealed in conversation between other characters that Jasmin has had an affair with Wang's nephew, following which he beats her and she attempts suicide. It is said that the nephew is sent away and the quarrel resolved, but Wang is miserable and believes himself to have been betrayed by both women (Crimson and Jasmin).

Another courtesan, Jade, has been made a promise by her lover, the young and immature Master Zhu, that if they cannot be married together then they will die together. When it is apparent that the marriage will not occur she gives Zhu opium in an attempt to poison him before attempting to drink opium herself. He realizes her ploy and spits it out as other girls rush in—saving both Zhu and Jade. Ultimately Master Zhu agrees to pay $5,000 for Jade's freedom and $5,000 for a future dowry so that Jade can buy out her contract and be married off to someone else.

The final courtesan, Emerald, yearns for freedom from the courtesan life. She is supported in her attempts by one of her patrons, Luo. She was bought for $100 by her auntie as a child but her her auntie insists freedom costs many times that value ($3,000). The negotiation goes on throughout the film. With the help of Master Hong and Emerald, Luo negotiates a satisfactory price and takes Emerald away from the brothel. The film ends with Crimson and the actor that she had an affair with sitting together as she affectionately prepares a pipe for him contradicting the conversation she had with Wang about preparing his own pipe by himself.

Film critic J. Hoberman, like Jonathan Rosenbaum, called Hou Hsiao-hsien the best director of the '90s and hailed Flowers of Shanghai as one of Hou's three masterpieces from that decade.[4]

Jeffrey Anderson finds the film incredibly beautiful despite the need for "multiple viewings and incredible patience."[5]

While Jeremy Heilman didn't want to call it Hou's best film, he certainly considered it his prettiest.[6] Kent Jones called the film innovative.[7]

The film won for Best Director and Best Art Director (Wen-Ying Huang) at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in 1998, and the next year the director won the Golden Crow Pheasant at the International Film Festival of Kerala. It was nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes but did not win.[8]

• Sing-song girls
• List of submissions to the 71st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Taiwanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

• Flowers of Shanghai at IMDb
• HK cinemagic entry