It was alright...*SPOILERS MAYBE*

I don't think it's the 'end all, be all' of cinema most are saying on these boards...lol...(Of course, everyone has their own likes and dislikes).

The film was 'interesting,' IMO...

It's not very slow moving, but it’s not a quick paced film either. (My favorites from this director are: 'Happy Times'...'Curse of the Golden Flower'...'House of Flying Daggers'....'Not One Less'...

Some have likened this to 'The Godfather'...although, I think 'The Godfather' is slightly better.

Like 'Happy Times' I think the ending is left opened for some of the characters:

For instance, what happened to the boy, ShuiShueng? He's already seen the corruption (obviously due to the 'family' being a mafia family)...

The 9-year old girl Anjiao is to be groomed to be the mistress of the gang boss, Teng. No doubt she will wonder about her mother and Xiao Qingbao.

Yimou Zhang is not one for doing sequels, but {like I mentioned on the ‘Happy Times’ board} it would be interesting to revisit the characters.

Aside from all of that, yes Gong Li was lovely (especially during the scene when Song is ‘on trial’) and she laughs at him because he duped her.

It’s an interesting film. Not Yimou’s best, but it’s something to check out.

"What the deuce?!" Stewie Gilligan Griffin, Family Guy