Temptress Moon (1996) Feng yue (original title): The teeming underworld of 1920s Shanghai collides with old-world nobility in Chen Kaige's harrowing film. Ruyi, the youngest daughter of the noble family, is employed as a servant to her opium-addicted father and brother. Meanwhile, Ruyi's brother-in-law, Zhongliang, enjoys a thriving (illegal) career seducing and blackmailing married women in the city. (6.8)
Director: Kaige Chen
Stars: Leslie Cheung, Li Gong and Kevin Lin
Language: Mandarin
Ancient family traditions, manipulations of Triad families, westernization of an ancient society, etc. are very well depicted. But the real story is the heartbreak each one causes upon the others, sometimes knowingly and at other times, ignorantly. A story of power, money and love. Cinematography is nice, but to get the old-look, Christopher Doyle has used too much yellow hues, IMO. The plot and relationships are confusing at times, but at the end it all makes sense. The Wikipedia article about the film has quite a lot of details. Read it after watching the movie. My Rating: 7.0
