Shanghai Blues

In 1937, as war engulfs Shanghai, a young soldier and a woman cross paths under a bridge during a bombing raid. In the darkness and chaos, they exchange comforting words and vow to reunite when the war ends. But in the confusion, they never see each other's faces and part without knowing each other's names. A decade later, in 1947, Shanghai is reborn in a vibrant yet turbulent post-war era. Shu-Shu, now a dancer, still clings to the memory of that fateful encounter. Meanwhile, she meets an awkward but endearing young musician, nicknamed Do-Re-Mi, who is instantly captivated by her. Neither realises that they had met ten years earlier under the Suzhou Bridge. Fate, ever mischievous, weaves them together through a series of near-misses and misunderstandings, bringing them close only to pull them apart.

Set against the dazzling backdrop of a resurgent Shanghai, Shanghai Blues is a poetic blend of romance, screwball comedy, and wistful melancholy. With masterful finesse, Tsui Hark intertwines slapstick humour with heartfelt emotion, crafting a love story shaped by destiny, longing, and the passage of time.

Thibault Ramet ( Lettres, UNIL)