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Plot

Directed by Lou Ye, Zi Hudie revolves around the underground faction of anti-Nipponese fighters in 1930s Shanghai, just prior to the onset of the Sino-Japanese war. It's only the beginning when Cynthia (Zhang Ziyi), a young Chinese woman, learns the news of her lover Itami's (Toru Nakamura) rapidly approaching return to the military. In a second and even more devastating blow, Cynthia's brother, a contributor to an anti-Japanese newspaper, is killed by a Japanese activist. Three years later, switchboard operator Tang Yiling (Li Bingbing) and Situ (Liu Ye), her fiancé, are introduced to Cynthia after inadvertently heading into a protest held by a resistance group code-named Purple Butterfly, of which Cynthia (who has since changed her name to Ding Hui) has become a part. Ultimately, a botched assassination attempt leaves Situ with a mysterious briefcase; now a suspect himself, Situ is arrested by none other than Itami, who, after reuniting with his old flame, has no idea of her role in a complicit plan to have his boss (Kin Ei) assassinated.
MPAA Rating:
R
Genre(s):
Drama
Run Time:
127min.
Theatrical Release Date:
11/26/2004
DVD Release Date:
02/15/2005
Distributor(s):
Palm Pictures
Director(s):
Lou Ye
Starring:
Zhang Ziyi , Liu Ye , Feng Yuanzheng , Toru Nakamura
Themes:
Assumed Identities,Political Unrest
Tone:
Angry,Biting,Confrontational,Harsh,Tense
Keywords:
Japanese [nationality],anti-establishment,assassination,boss [employer],briefcase,conspiracy,mistaken-identity,resistance-fighters
Country of Origin:
USA - Limited (11-26-2004)
Language:
Japanese,Mandarin,Vietnamese