''Shanghai Story'' () is a 2004

Chinese film The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the hom ...

directed by Peng Xiaolian. A family drama, the film was the surprise winner of the 19th

Golden Rooster Awards The Golden Rooster Awards () are film awards given in mainland China. The awards were originally given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981. Award recipients receive a statuette in the sha ...

in China, where it won best picture over the heavily favored ''

House of Flying Daggers ''House of Flying Daggers'' () is a 2004 ''wuxia'' martial arts film from China, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, and Zhang Ziyi. It opened in limited release within the United States on 3 December 2004, in New ...

''. The film's win was also surprising given that the story, according to Arthur Jones (film director) of ''Variety'', included references to the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, which is still a sore subject for Chinese censors. Even more surprisingly, the film was little-touched by censors. While the film's studio in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

requested changes to the ending, Peng asked for the decision to come from the

State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) is a ministry-level executive agency controlled by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its main task is the administration and supervision of state-own ...

in Beijing, who chose to leave the film be.

Plot

The film follows the rise and fall of a family in Shanghai. Once wealthy capitalists, the family unravels during the

; their home, once a French concession mansion, converted into a multi-family dwelling. Years later, the matriarch of the family announces that she is dying. When her four grown children return, it is the first time the family has been under one roof in decades.

Reception

''Shanghai Story'' had an unusual reception in China. Nominated for several categories at the

, the film was not expected to win, which according to Arthur Jones of ''Variety'', faced tough competition particularly from Zhang Yimou's big-budget wuxia picture, ''

''. To director Peng Xiaolan's surprise, the film won nearly all major categories including the best picture, director, actress and supporting actor prizes. Even after these wins, however, the film was not immediately picked up for domestic distribution in China. The film, however, was screened at several international film festivals, giving the film exposure to audiences abroad. ''Shanghai Story'' was eventually released in China in 2005 for the

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid- ...

References

External links

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''Shanghai Story''
at the Chinese Movie Database {{Golden Rooster Award for Best Picture Chinese drama films 2000s Chinese films 2004 films 2000s Mandarin-language films Films set in Shanghai Golden Rooster Best Film recipients Films directed by Peng Xiaolian