Flowers of Shanghai (1998) on Netflix
Shanghai, 1884: in the flower houses, dignitaries dine and play mahjong while courtesans keep long-term patrons. Crimson gains Master Wang as an exclusive patron, and Emerald seeks her freedom.
- Netflix4.2/5
- IMDb7.3/104,698 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
Late in the nineteenth century, Shanghai's British concession keeps the elegant houses known as flower houses, the only places the city's dignitaries may gather. The women who work there, the flowers, follow rites and habits of their own. Pearl runs her house with her own mother as its madam and keeps Master Hong as a steady patron. Master Wang becomes the exclusive patron of Crimson, who is known for her temper. Emerald, the most beautiful of the courtesans, refuses exclusive patrons and looks for a man who will buy out her contract, and Luo is willing to wait for her. Jade, an apprentice in Pearl's house, has a promise of marriage from the young Master Zhu.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Flowers of Shanghai (1998)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- China's government refused Hou Hsiao-hsien permission to shoot Flowers of Shanghai there, so the production was completed in Taiwan. With no suitable period locations available, the whole film was shot in a studio and has no outdoor scenes.
- Ah Cheng (Zhong Acheng) sourced and ordered most of the costumes and props for Flowers of Shanghai from China, and proposed that Hou Hsiao-hsien abandon electric bulbs and light the rooms with candles for a warm, nostalgic look.
- The nearly two-hour Flowers of Shanghai consists of fewer than forty shots. Hou Hsiao-hsien's long takes are joined with fade-ins and fade-outs that imitate the rhythm of breathing.
