This movie is a rare visual treat. Extremely vibrant and colorful. Gong Li is flawless. An intriguing and interesting analysis on the fate of women and traditional customs in the early 1900s in China. Women are basically trapped, physically and psychologically, in the 4-walls of their husbands. They obey their husbands like the way servants would to their masters. A man holds absolute power. He does whatever he pleases and can marry as many concubine as he sees fit. He treats his concubines like toys - cherishes them when they're still new and shiny but after a while he'd toss them away as they get old or don't offer anything new. It's a sad peek into the monotonous life of the concubines. Not only they're trapped, they're pushed into a cat and mouse game between the wives to get the master's attention. They'd do whatever it needs to get favor of the husband, namely giving him a son. It's a mad society. No matter how educated a woman is, it's ridiculously hard to get out of the rat race. Excellent movie.

Remove this movie from the Romance list immediately

A movie about a chinese dude's Red Light District.