Zhang Yimou is one of the most acclaimed Chinese filmmakers working today. His work is universally beloved with many of his features becoming hits worldwide, including “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers.” And fans of the filmmaker won’t want to miss Film Movement’s upcoming re-release of the director’s gangster classic “Shanghai Triad.”
READ MORE: Some Film & TV Productions Restart In China, Including Work On Zhang Yimou’s New Film
In honor of “Shanghai Triad” being released in Virtual Cinemas and select theaters this summer, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at the trailer for the film. “Shanghai Triad” follows the story of a young teen that is sent to become the servant of a nightclub singer with ties to a crime boss. And over time, the young boy finds cracks in the crime family and potential rivals for the boss.
The film stars Gong Li, who is a legend of Chinese cinema. She has starred in films such as “Farewell My Concubine,” “Raise the Red Lantern,” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.” Gong Li has previously worked with Zhang on eight films, including recent features such as “Curse of the Golden Flower” and “Coming Home.” She’ll next be seen in Disney’s upcoming film, “Mulan.”
“Shanghai Triad” will arrive on Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema on June 26 and open in select theaters on July 3.
Here’s the synopsis:
Hired to be a servant to pampered nightclub singer and mob moll Xiao Jinbao (Gong Li, Ju Dou, Farewell My Concubine), naive teenager Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao) is thrust into the glamorous and deadly demimonde of Shanghai’s crime syndicates. Over the course of seven days, Shuisheng observes mounting tensions as triad boss Tang begins to suspect traitors amongst his ranks and rivals for Xiao Jinbao’s affections. Zhang’s inventive take on the gangster film is “assured and attention-grabbing” (Variety) and Gong’s central performance, “a portrait of a capricious and indulgent woman who gains depth as we watch her — is one of her finest” (Chicago Tribune).
