Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai
Theatrical Poster
Chinese	海上花
Mandarin	Hǎishàng Huā
Literally	Sea flowers
Directed by	Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Produced by	Shozo Ichiyama Teng-Kuei Yang
Screenplay by	Chu Tien-wen Eileen Chang (translation)
Story by	Han Bangqing
Starring	Tony Leung Chiu-Wai Annie Shizuka Inoh Michiko Hada Shuan Fang Jack Kao
Music by	Yoshihiro Hanno
Cinematography	Pin Bing Lee
Edited by	Ching-Song Liao
Release date	1998 (1998)
Running time	130 minutes
Country	Taiwan
Language	Cantonese Shanghainese

Flowers of Shanghai is a 1998 Taiwanese film directed by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien and starring Tony Leung, Hada Michiko, Annie Shizuka Inoh, Shuan Fang, Jack Kao, Carina Lau, Rebecca Pan, Michelle Reis and Vicky Wei. It was voted the third best film of the 1990s in the 1999 Village Voice Film Poll. The film was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

In four elegant brothels, called "Flower Houses", in fin-de-siècle 19th-century Shanghai (Qing dynasty), several affairs are described. Events presumably take place in 1884, a year named in one of the scenes. The action involves four men who live for pleasure, and takes place mostly in the light of oil lamps, giving the film a claustrophobic feel. Preparation and consumption of opium and tea occur more than once, and dishes of food are served and hot towels prepared in several scenes.

We are introduced to the main characters, mainly the courtesans known as Crimson, Pearl, Emerald, Jasmine and Jade. Crimson belongs to Huifang Enclave (薈芳里) brothel; Pearl and Jade to Gongyang Enclave (公陽里) brothel; Emerald lives at Shangren Enclave (尚仁里) brothel; and Jasmine works at 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, otherwise known as "Aunties". In spite of the trappings of luxury and the wealth surrounding them, the graceful, well-bred courtesans live lives of slavery. Although there are only a few references to the courtesans being beaten, we are led to understand that there are frequent beatings for the girls and women with harsher Aunties and that beatings for perceived misbehaviour are common. Because of the oppressing social conventions, the best that the courtesans, known as "flower girls", can hope for is to pay off their debts some day (possible through a wealthy patron) or marry into a better social status.