Flowers of Shanghai
1998 · 113 min · Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Hou Hsiao-hsien
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
In Shanghai in the 1880s there are four elegant brothels (flower houses): each has an auntie (called madam), a courtesan in her prime, older servants, and maturing girls in training. The men gather around tables of food, playing drinking games. An opium pipe is at hand. The women live within dark-paneled walls. The atmosphere is stifling, as if Chekhov was in China. The melancholy Wang is Crimson's patron; will he leave her for the younger Jasmin? Emerald schemes to buy her freedom, aided by patron Luo. Pearl, an aging flower, schools the willful Jade, who thinks she has a marriage agreement with young master Zhu. Is she dreaming? Women fade, or connive, or despair.
Emotional fingerprint
Flowers of Shanghai (1998) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 35%, Love 25%, Sadness 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Melancholy35%
- Love25%
- Sadness20%
- Nostalgia10%
- Anxiety10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Melancholy, Love, Sadness. Genres: Drama, Romance. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Love and Sadness. Its IMDb rating of 7.2/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 72/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sympathy
- Melancholy
- Tension
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Melancholy
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sympathy | Melancholy | Tension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Humor | 40 % | 12 % | 10 % | 17 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Tension | 42 % | 24 % | 20 % | 31 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Sympathy | 47 % | 39 % | 32 % | 40 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 20′ | Sympathy | 52 % | 49 % | 40 % | 39 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 25′ | Sympathy | 56 % | 55 % | 44 % | 38 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Sympathy | 54 % | 50 % | 41 % | 36 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Melancholy | 46 % | 36 % | 36 % | 37 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 42′ | Melancholy | 46 % | 34 % | 39 % | 43 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Melancholy | 48 % | 39 % | 39 % | 44 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Sympathy | 50 % | 43 % | 32 % | 45 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Sympathy | 54 % | 40 % | 26 % | 51 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Tension | 58 % | 36 % | 26 % | 56 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 71′ | Sympathy | 66 % | 51 % | 45 % | 60 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 76′ | Sympathy | 65 % | 60 % | 54 % | 55 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Relief | 54 % | 43 % | 33 % | 34 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Relief | 52 % | 33 % | 25 % | 22 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 93′ | Melancholy | 63 % | 48 % | 43 % | 42 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 99′ | Tension | 70 % | 61 % | 53 % | 61 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 105′ | Relief | 65 % | 58 % | 47 % | 52 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 110′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Oedipus
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Flowers of Shanghai. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Huang
Jade
Golden Flower
Jasmin
Vagabond #2
Shu-Fang's sister
Jade
Tao
Zhu Suren
Peking Opera Actor
Azhu
Treasure
Details
- Directed by
- Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Hou Hsiao-hsien
- Written by
- T'ien-wen Chu, Bangqing Han, Eileen Chang, Chu Tien-Wen
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1998
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Country
- Taiwan, Japan
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Melancholy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Feels similar
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