Shanghai Dreams Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

A gem

This is a gem of a movie. It creates the world of small town China in the early 80s beautifully. The performances are superb. The mise-en-scene wonderful. It portrays the strains in society beautifully: the repressive morality and brutal governance of so-called 'Communist' China reminding one of Victorian Britain. I was transfixed - so much better than the 'kung fu' movies coming out of Beijing today which are just propaganda tools (beautiful as they are) for the regime

A good post Cultural Revolution flick

The film surrounds around the children of the 'lost generation' of China, the generation who gave their whole life to ideology and the hope of a revolutionary new world. Parents who gone to revive rural areas as Mao's 'Red Guards' educated youth has realised they lost their whole life for ideology and they will do anything to get their Children back to Shanghai. However, fate always seems to have other plans......

The film is set in the early 80’s when China first started to open up to the West and several reforms. A lot of new things were coming into the country and people were all allured by the materialism and vanity of capitalism. A new wave of rebellion not so different to the ones of the ‘Red Guards’ was forming amongst young people with the only difference that they are now idolising popular culture and not ideology. Their parents not so differently is constantly thinking about getting rich and going back to the city they once came from, so different to the youth they once were.

There are some good performances from the Dad of Qing Hong and the ‘boyfriend’, who made you realise how love and over protection can lead to horrible consequences. The great thing about this film is with all of the characters having good intentions, fate seems to always lead you to the eventual miserable conclusions and how you can’t win in life. The plot is very good at giving you the feel of the pain of changing times in China and how the abandonment of ideology for materialism has many adverse effects especially to one’s consciences.

Grim but True!

Although coming from China originally, I do not watch many Chinese films. I'm glad I picked this film. It portrays a true picture of China in the early 1980s, and the characters mirror real life in China. It brings back memories of the China I knew and what happened in the film then are still hapening in China now, although China is much more developed economically. If you want to learn something about the Chinese people, its culture and recent history, this film will show you an insight and take you to a journey. It's about the pains of growing up, the tremendous pressures that the youngers are under, and the lack of understanding between different generations. I recommend this film to anyone who has an interest in China and those who want to learn about other cultures.

Dont miss this one

What a good movie this is! Super direction with great locations this film really captures the rural china of the 80's in which it is set. The director coaxes out great performances from almost all the major players particually the two girls, the father is 'over the top' but that is intentional to drive home the point of the story , which is the feelings of families displaced by the state to work in rural factories. As with many films from the far east the use of colour is particually good and is often used to set the mood of the scene. From a European view point its a great insight into the life of a 'Normal' Chinese familly and the scene set at an illegal teenage dance is very iteresting and not a little disturbing to our western eyes. Perhaps a little too long but not by much and the story holds up well even if it is a little predictable but it seems to me the story is not the important part of this film its only there to highlight the situation these peole find themselves in. A great movie, if you like world cinema then this is a must.

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[Highly rated reviewer]

I want to wear my red stilleto's

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

A suprise this film.

The title 'Shanghai Dreams' was suggesting something glitzy and overblown - 'a Chollywood' (like a Bollywood but with chopsticks)

But it was drab. And drab was good. Not a hidden dragon or a crouching tiger in sight. It was all small potatoes; a living out of underproduced, minuscule lifes.

Some films really get you there, to where they are - and this one did. I could imagine working myself stupid in the factory, having to do the morning callisthenics's, hanging out at the village disco, sucking on cheap woodbines, dancing to Boney M with blokes (cus the cute virgins are stood shy up the wall).

(There's a great scene at this disco when the local lothario does a funky disco trot in his bellbottom slacks and shades)

The oppression, and the supression, and the repression- sucks you in: of Communist China and strict Communist China dads scared their young virgin daughters are gonna get stuck underneath those slacks and shades.

The young heroine does. Gets raped. (It should have been her irritating squeaky-doll girlfriend) But the boyfriend who rapes her is too meek and mild-mannered to convince me he could have even got her red stiletto's off (he bought them for her) let alone her knickers. Not at all credible.

But everything else is. It feels authentic to both time and place - the real deal. The monochronal, monotonal, rigidity - of life lived in Commie China back in the 1980's.

You don't want to live there. You're glad you never lived there. But there's grim fascination at seeing what it was like (and probably still is for many millions of Chinese)

Shanhai'd

I was disappointted with this film after reading all the hype.

It didn't bring anything new

Nothing much happens in this film I'm afraid. While the setting and circumstances portrayed may be something most would not realise - that families from Shanghai were sent by their government to work in the country for the good of the country - it didn't really bring anything new in terms of plot or cultural aspects. Father is angry and controlling to the teenage daughter as he fears her budding interest in a boy may effect his/her goals of getting into university and returning to Shanghai. Quite predicable in characters, storyline, and I'm afraid I even guessed the 'surprise' plot turn.

Food For Thought

An amazing portrail of china in the early eighties, and the paranoia that was and still is prevalent in Chinese society. Having spent sometime in central china I found this movie to bring back many fond memories, as well as the ever present eye of the state. Thought provoking and dark in places, if you like gritty social commentary you'll enjoy this movie.

Shanghi Dreams

Watchable film - More for girls

Sad

A sad film about China which makes you wonder if it still goes on. Well, they don't exactly treat their workers well now either.

This film is bleak, it's Ang Lee either. Be prepared for a long film about how depressing life is in inner China.