Flowers of Shanghai

1998 · directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien

Rating

76/100

Hit

no

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

Flowers of Shanghai (1998), directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, rates 76/100. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

• Tony Leung Chiu-wai
• Michiko Hada
• Carina Lau
• Michele Reis
• Jack Kao
• Rebecca Pan
• Stephanie Fong Shuan
• Annie Shizuka Inoh
• Vicky Wei
• Firebird Liu

Crew

• Mark Lee Ping-Bing — Director of Photography
• Liao Ching-sung — Editor
• Tu Duu-chih — Original Music Composer
• Yoshihiro Hanno — Original Music Composer
• Chu Tien-Wen — Writer

More from Hou Hsiao-hsien

1. Dust in the Wind (1986) — 86/100 · hit
2. A City of Sadness (1989) — 86/100 · hit
3. A Summer at Grandpa's (1984) — 85/100 · hit
4. The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985) — 84/100 · hit
5. The Puppetmaster (1993) — 81/100 · hit
6. To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — 79/100

How these numbers work: Methodology