Contemplative, filmed in long hypnotic takes and with a mesmerising pictorial beauty, Flowers of Shanghai takes place in a luxury brothel in late 19th Century Shanghai. It is a clear-sighted observation of intrigue, materialism and power games but also a moving story of devotion and love. The film is complex but atmosphere is its primary force. Painterly use of scenography and costumes, oil lamps throwing their golden glow, hypnotic music – this is just a few of the elements that together create something more like a meditation than a normal film experience. 

Flowers of Shanghai is internationally recognised as one the greatest masterpieces of the 1990s. ds