Blossoms Shanghai is the ultimate TV undertaking clocking in at 30 episodes in the hour long format. From a director whose most well known work is in the hour and a half range this is a bold undertaking. His return to the camera though still comes with his signature style that fits a specific place and culture in 1990s China while also taking us back and forth in time to set up how this all came to be.
The show starts with Mr.Bao, a man who is hit by a yellow car while carrying 300,000 Chinese Yuan. Why was he hit? Why did he have 300,000 Yuan? Those questions are what start the journey. With some voiceover and moving dynamically colorful images Wong shows his master of mise en scene even in short shots edited into montage. He brings us into his time where the stock market in China is exploding and anyone from any walk of life could become the new money that hits it big. Hitting it big though comes with its risks, not only can your stocks plummet at any point but the rivalries that surround Mr.Bao threaten his life and his status at every turn.
The series with its 30 episodes makes for a vastly epic story structure. Even in the first episode you are barraged with names, information, backstory about a ensembles worth of characters within minutes. Keeping up with that is a task, not one that’s enjoyable for some of the time but the imagery does make up for it. The lighting and unique locations stand out, you feel like you’ve lived in this part of China and the place also feels lived in. The extras and production design make for an immersive experience, one where you get a feel of the culture which sets the frantic, bougie tone of the world and of the characters.
Now, the start of the show does feel rocky for something that wants you to invest in 30 hours or so of plot. Mr. Bao himself while clearly going after money feels quite shallow and we do not understand what he wants to do with the money or why anyone around him was willing to help him get to the place he gets to by the time he is run over with a car. The show asks for your patience and, if you are willing, then it looks set to deliver. If you are bored in this series opening moments I doubt your view going to change over the course of the next hours of watching. Its a show filled with excitement for the fans of Wong Kar Wai, his style, his approach to storytelling and his arthouse mood but those without are probably not going to get a story that feels more evolved than the many great rags to riches story to be done on the screen in America let alone the rest of the world.
Blossoms Shanghai is now streaming on Criterion Channel.
