The charms of an alluring prostitute are used as bait between feuding gang lords against a dramatic backdrop of 1930s Shanghai in this exotic and utterly captivating thriller. Award winner Zhang Yimou directs his enigmatic muse, Gong Li, in the latest in a long line of memorable collaborations (RED SORGHUM, JU DOU, RAISE THE RED LANTERN, THE STORY OF QUI JU and TO LIVE).