Blood Brothers

In Person: Actor Daniel Wu

A dramatic tale of unbridled greed, unrequited love and fraternal betrayal, Blood Brothers explores the glittering den of vice and sin that was Shanghai in the ‘30s. Produced by famed filmmaker John Woo and his long-time collaborator Terence Chang, this dazzling debut feature from newcomer Alexi Tan tells the thrilling story of three young men whose loyalty to one another is tested by their descent into the city’s alluring crime underworld. Starring Chinese superstar (and Bay Area native) Daniel Wu, Chang Chen and the gorgeous Shu Qi as the lovely, tragic chanteuse Lulu, Blood Brothers won’t fail to dazzle fans of Asian cinema and lavish period melodrama alike.

In a sleepy rural town, Kang (Liu Ye) looks out for his naive younger brother, Xiao Hu (Tony Yang), and their best friend, Fung (Wu), who is like a brother to them both. When Kang convinces them they should all seek their fortunes as waiters in Shanghai, Fung reluctantly follows. Once in the Babylonian metropolis, however, the three fall under the spell of Boss Hong (Sun Honglei), a local crime lord who runs the city’s film industry as well as its most glamorous nightclub. Meanwhile, Fung becomes enraptured by free-spirited Lulu, Boss Hong’s favorite showgirl.

Tan sumptuously recreates a booming port city whose very own jazz age raged while New York City’s had faded, bringing its zeitgeist to life in a razzle-dazzle of sparkling flapper gowns, silver cigarette cases and clouds of gun smoke. Blood Brothers is a tour de force of vaulting ambition.