Only one reason to see this......Ziyi Zhang. And the imteresting thing is that her facal expressions and manner are exactly the same as in her classic next film THE ROAD HOME. Obviously she was spotted by a director in this her first film, and he wasn't watching this rather gloomy colourless film but instead saw that this girl would light up the screen in a beautifully told love story. So watch THE ROAD HOME instead!

Visuellement excellent, mais l'histoire est un peu mince.

What a great premise: in 1931 Shanghai, Zhang Ziyi is ordered to assassinate a Japanese official -- who happens to be her long-lost beau. And what a terrible movie! Scene after scene of minutes-long closeups of characters walking, standing, sitting -- but rarely actually *doing* or *saying* anything. I'm sorry, but lingering on a couple wordlessly dancing to a record for five minutes does not qualify as character development. Nor does following a woman walking along a railroad platform. . .and walking. . .even if the camera eventually switches to follow a different character walking on the other side. . .and walking. . .and. . .zzzzzzzzzz. And the big "reveal" at the end takes 10 minutes to present 10 seconds' worth of information. If I'd had any remaining interest in the paper-doll characters at that point, the comically glacial pace might have bothered me. Don't get me wrong, I like an "operatic" epic as much as anybody, but this is Mystery Science Theater territory. It makes 2001 look like a Michael Bay popcorn flick. What little action there is doesn't help matters, either. It's barely coherent, with characters we mostly don't know shooting at each other in dark, murky locations. This concept deserved a good movie, not a sleep aid.

a visual feast, that i give it. but a royal, sumptuous bore. bet my last penny 80% of the critics who raved about this were gwailos.

A beautiful looking film. It certainly lived up to its "atmospheric" tag. However, it was also frustratingly slow. It was a torture sitting through it.

I really don't understand why Suzhou River is so highly acclaimed, but this isn't. This is at least as good as it. I admit that editing - trying to be stylish by putting events chronologically out of order - is kinda messed up, but still, images and performances are very powerful and engaging. The biggest problem of the films is that the director gets little bit too showy - especially the last sequence (not the archival footage of Japanese army invading China, right before that).

Ye Lou is one of the greatest Chinese 6th generation directors. James said, the film jumps too much and not making much sense, but the thing is, a good film doesn't have to tell you everything, those films are only for brainless people, good films make you think and involve. However, Suzhou River is a better work by Lou. Looking forward to see Summer Palace and his new film in 2010.

ummm couldnt sit and watch it... slow and boring. there was some bits of action, but i had no clue what the story line was about!

Deliriously boring WWII-era thriller of political intrigue is neither intriguing nor thrilling. Too many pregnant pauses does not profound silence make.

There's a lot of silence in this movie and the plot is non-linear, which makes it increadibly hard to follow. It took me most of the movie just to sort out what was happening now and what was a flashback.

The only reason its this low is because two guys looked the same to me. I thought I knew what was going on for a while, then I realized I got the people mixed up.

<i>Purple Butterfly</i> is quite an interesting watch. It isn't interesting in the way where the story just knocks your socks off or where the film just spans many genres. This is a straight up Chinese gangster drama with a different way of telling the story.<p>This film is almost like a silent picture. The dialogue is down to a minimum and I mean bare minimum. This will turn away a lot of people, but the silent treatment benefits this film to some degree. You see, this would have turned out like any old Chinese crime drama if the dialogue was written in the usual way. Instead, you have to rely on the camerawork to tell the story.</p><p>Of course, having the camerawork carry the film does have its downsides. The story, in the second half, is a little complex, but not impossible to figure out. The first 30 minutes is real easy to follow, since there isn't much in the way of story. It is all character buildup and it is a bit much if you ask me. It really does feel like the beginning of the story happens at around the 40 minute mark.</p><p>The ending is a bit drawn out and the last 5-10 minutes seem unnecessary. It is because of this that the film reaches 2 hours. It is long, especially for a low dialogue picture.</p><p>Zhang Ziyi does lead this film, although there are a few other characters with just as much airtime. All the actors feel bland and that is more the style of the movie rather than poor acting.</p><p>This film will not cater to everyone and it does take a chance at doing something out of the ordinary. It's a good watch if you can stand the slow burn of 120 minutes.

the film is beautifully shot. i don't mind it being slow... but it was a bit too confusing for me.

this movie is really really slow...and its practically a silent movie, you have to interpret everything, they barely speak.

Lou Ye returns to his beloved Shanghai in Purple Butterfly, a for the most part successful marriage between his own distinctively avantgarde "6th generation"-style and the thriller format. While technically as accomplished as his previous work, highlights include some pivotal camerawork by Wang Yu, Purple Butterfly remains somewhat lacking in the storytelling department, and Lou has a hard time trying to convince the viewer to care for his characters in a narrative that seemingly haphazardly constantly shifts temporal focus. However, as a tragedy of fate, Purple Butterfly hits the mark pretty accurately, ending on an appropriately destructive and dejected note.

Scattered story-telling that could've been done better. Story itself is quite engrossing.

moody film noir. zhang is beautiful but inscrutable

Slow camera shots, a melancholy mood and the reductionist approach are wonderful tools in the hands of a master, - eg., Wong Kar-wai, Edward Yang, Jia Zhangke etc. But in the hands of this director, it was an absolute disaster. This is got to be one of the worst films I've ever seen. Just because there's sex, hot girls, death and big name actors doesn't cut it. 1 star cos I like Li BingBing.

Muito bom filme... Ponto + = Atuação de Ziyi Zhang e o diretor foi fiel aos personagens. Ponto - = As cenas poderiam fluir melhor....o fundo histórico poderia ser melhor trabalhado.

I have watch this movie a few times now and seem to get drwn into it more and more as I understand the little secrets and life in the shadows of the characters. Life can be sad if we stay in a sad place but we can move towards happiness if we make the choice and act... jwl