Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie) poster & wallpaper
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Ziyi Zhang, Ye Liu, Yuanzheng Feng, Tôru Nakamura, Bingbing Li ... see more see more... , Kin Ei

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 Cynthi... read more read more...a (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. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Flixster Users

41% liked it

1,317 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

20 critics

R, 2 hr. 7 min.

Directed by: Ye Lou

Release Date: November 26, 2004

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DVD Release Date: February 15, 2005

Stats: 83 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (83)

  • skactopus
    September 25, 2008
    skactopus
    Purple Butterfly 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.

    This film is alm

    ... read moreost 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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.
  • gator681
    December 14, 2004
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic][color=indigo][font=Century Gothic]Absolutely incoherent film about Chinese resistance to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and Shanghai in 1927 and 1931. Now, that's the part that I understood. Anything involving specific characters, or more precisely who w... read moreas shooting at whom while at the same time carrying on love affairs with people on the other side completely escaped me. [/font][/color][/font]
  • janny2681
    August 7, 2007
    janny2681
    a bit hard to follow the first time watching it since there is a constant change in the film, but it is a very good film.

View All Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie) Reviews

Critic Reviews

G. Allen Johnson
February 25, 2005
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

At the center of it all is, of course, Zhang. Charismatic and intense, she excels in her most grown-up role to date. Full Review

Ty Burr
January 21, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

There are two movies battling for supremacy in Butterfly, and both lose. As does the audience. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
January 13, 2005
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

As atmospheric and moody as a film noir, the stylish, sometimes perplexing Purple Butterfly is a remarkable period piece, evoking the bustling, dense and increasingly dangerous Shanghai of the '30s. Full Review

A.O. Scott
November 29, 2004
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Mr. Lou synthesizes a wide range of styles and influences -- from Casablanca to Wong Kar-wai -- resulting in a movie that, for all its haunting strangeness, seems curiously familiar. Full Review

V.A. Musetto
November 26, 2004
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Throughout, Zhang emotes like Bette Davis.

Lisa Schwarzbaum
November 24, 2004
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Too often, Purple Butterfly is as impenetrable as Zhang's placid, obdurate beauty. Full Review

Derek Elley
November 24, 2004
Derek Elley, Variety

An often remarkable, often infuriating lateral spin on genre material that desperately needs another sesh at the editing table. Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt
May 28, 2003
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

Lou Ye ... has chosen a murky and disjointed means to narrate this story.

Luke Y. Thompson
May 28, 2005
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times

The plot may be a little hard to follow, but the film-making is skillful and any effort on the viewer's part is well worth it

Phil Villarreal
February 2, 2005
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star

Just like nuclear energy, long cinematic pauses can be used properly for the benefit of all, while in the wrong hands they can cause mass misery. Full Review

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