In
the early Twentieth Century, Shanghai was an open city and a divided city.
According to Hong Ying’s source novel, fugitives could enter the front door of
Madam Xin’s brothel from Qing controlled territory and exit through the back
door into the French Concession. Pedantic spoil sports argue this was
geographically impossible, but it captures the chaotic nature of the times. Xiao
Yuegui (a.k.a. Cassia) was sold into the brothel as a mere servant girl, but
she will become a major player in the city’s power games during the course of
Sherwood Hu’s Lord of Shanghai (trailer here), which screens during the 2017 Asian World Film Festival.
Since
Cassia’s feet were never bound, Madam Xin considers her only fit for scrubbing
floors. However, both “Lord” Chang Lixiong, leader of Shanghai’s most powerful
Triad and Song, the venal regional Qing military commander would beg to differ.
Fortunately for Cassia, Lord Chang wins that battle, becoming her protector and
eventually lover, while ironically boarding her in Madam’s Xin’s. He and Song
also disagree over the revolution. After a long flirtation, Lord Chang has formally
aligned himself with the Republican cause, whereas Song naturally seeks to protect
the source of his power.
When
the revolutionary envoy, Huang Peiyu rescues Cassia from Song’s goons, it
forges even closer ties between Lord Chang and Huang’s faction. In fact, when
Lord Chang is murdered, Huang succeeds him as the new Lord of Shanghai.
However, the circumstances of his death were somewhat murky, as Cassia will discover.
By that point, she has become the toast of the Shanghai opera world and Huang’s
companion-lover, in a case of history repeating itself.
Lord is a ripping good period
piece that probably boasts more brothel scenes than a season of Game of Thrones, but of course, few
naughty parts to speak of. Basically, think of it as Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Flowers of Shanghai with Kung Fu and gun
fights.
Hu
Jun is terrific as Lord Chang. Frankly, he looks ten or fifteen years older
than he has in hits like As the Lights Go Out, but he wears the advanced maturity well. As the tandem of adolescent
and adult Cassia, Li Meng and Yu Nan could practically pass for the same
person. It is kind of spooky. They also do a nice job of tracking Cassia’s
development into forceful woman, who takes responsibility for her own destiny. Qin
Hao seems uncomfortable with Huang’s swagger, but seriously how much fun is it
to watch Bai Ling vamp it up as Madam Xin?
