Flowers of Shanghai

Aroview: Signature film for Taiwanese master Hou, this is a magnificent, but minimal examination of the world of courtesans in late-1800s Shanghai. A mesmerisingly rich and subtle work that unfolds subdued riches at a glacial pace, all shot in beatiful real-time candle-lit masters, this is a remarkably extreme film with little action or variation, and an extreme openness of perspective and attention to the complexities of the psychological interaction.

The effect is either heart-stopping and heart-rending, or possibly dull as dishwater for uninitiated or casual viewers... Certainly not recommended for unwary viewers.

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