...sound of water, choppy waves lapping against
the boats...
ESTABLISHING SHOT: Country boy Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao),
just arrived in Shanghai, is standing in the midst
of the urban crowd, totally clueless as to what's
going on around him. A picture of confusion, alienation
and anxiety. A peasant-fish out of water.
INCITING INCIDENT: Shuisheng witnesses a murder
committed by the Tang mafia clan in the warehouse
to which he is taken by his uncle.
PLOT POINT 1: Shuisheng witnesses the gorgeous Bijou
(Gong Li), Tang's capricious mistress, make love
to Sony, the boss's right hand man.
MID POINT EVENT: Shuisheng's uncle and the gang's
several other members die during a rival gang's (Fat
Yu) unsuccessful attempt on Tang's life. Tang retreats
to a remote small island, taking both Bijou and Shuisheng
with him and thinking of revenge. [Transition to
a DIFFERENT WORLD.]
PLOT POINT 2: In a face to face confrontation, Tang
reveals that he is fully aware of Sony's plans to
assasinate him in the service of Fat Yu and the fact
that Bijou slept with Sony.
3rd ACT RESOLUTION: Tang kills both Sony and Bijou,
and takes Shuisheng back to Shanghai together with
the small girl he met on the island to take Bijou's
place in the future.
