Purple Butterfly (Zi hudie) (2003)

45% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(1,317 ratings)

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… More 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. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: Ye Lou
Written By: Ye Lou
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Nov 26, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Feb 15, 2005
Studio: Palm Pictures

Critic Reviews

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.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
There are two movies battling for supremacy in Butterfly, and both lose. As does the audience.
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.
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.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Throughout, Zhang emotes like Bette Davis.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Too often, Purple Butterfly is as impenetrable as Zhang's placid, obdurate beauty.
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
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Strictly for card-carrying members of the Zhang Ziyi Fan Club.
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.
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
An at times pretty but nonetheless forgettable film.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
A gorgeous period melodrama, packed with romantic tragedy and violent intrigue, it is both gritty and dreamy, political and personal.
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly
Hectic, lyrical, swooningly romantic and almost unwatchably brutal.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
... rich with emotional turmoil and searing beauty, but it could have used a little more time in the editing room to make sense of it all.
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
The art of it is entirely in the atmospherics; the rest is melodrama. Its 127 minute exercise in puzzle solving is draining.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
The characters are less compelling than this particular slice of history, which has rarely been dramatized in movies.
, E! Online
Give in to the mood piece and bathe in its glamorous nostalgic glow. It's a beauty.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Justin Y

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… More
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 almost 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.
Walter M

[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… More
[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 was shooting at whom while at the same time carrying on love affairs with people on the other side completely escaped me. [/font][/color][/font]