Shanghai Blues

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Shanghai Blues

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1h 43m

Comedy

Musical

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6 Reviews

70%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

In 1937 after The Second Sino-Japanese War breaks out a soldier and a young woman have an awkward meet cute in darkness under a bridge as they seek refuge during a bomb raid. Although they can't see each other's faces they promise to meet again after the dust settles. Ten years later the soldier, now a burgeoning songwriter and tuba-player in a marching band, is back in town desperately searching for his would-be soulmate. As fate would have it they end up living in the same building unbeknownst to each other. Through a series of mishaps he mistakes her new ingénue roommate for his love interest and wacky love triangle hijinks ensue. Consummate auteur Tsui Hark almost singlehandedly reinvented Hong Kong cinema in the 80's and 90's with uber-kinetic genre opuses, amping up cinematic spectacle whether with special effects or sheer unbridled energy. This Hong Kong styled homage to the screwball comedies of yesteryear features black belt level slapstick and delightfully droll romcom shenanigans. With striking mise en scene and inspired production design Shanghai Blues is, "...luscious, loving and a lot of fun...one of Tsui Hark's most enjoyable works" - Richard James Havis, South China Morning Post.

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

With “Blues,” Tsui found a slapstick comedy register that he would continue to refine and expand over his career, one that would inform even the more serious period epics he would make in the future.

Jun 23, 2025

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It’s impossible not to be carried along by the delirious rush of silliness in this knockabout screwball comedy from 1984.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 5, 2025

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Lee Jutton

Film Inquiry

Shanghai Blues is a vibrant mix of slapstick, sweetness, and song that has been beautifully restored in 4K for its 40th anniversary.

Jun 26, 2025

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

A silly, lovable screwball comedy. (It even pays homage to Howard Hawks's 'Bringing Up Baby.')

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 21, 2025

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

Tsui Hark's exuberant screwball romantic comedy classic.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 20, 2025

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Peter Sobczynski

Auteurist Class (Substack)

it looks beautiful throughout, the three lead performers are effortlessly charming and charismatic as they go through their paces and it does have a delirious romantic tone to it that is enchanting throughout.

Jun 19, 2025

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Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 43 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Chinese and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

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Esra Y

Once you get adjusted to how silly it is, movie turns out to be delightful.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

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s r

The kind of farce that is so bad it is almost good.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

THE BARE FACTS HERE SEEM BIZARRE. tHIS IS A 1930's style screwball COMEDY AGAINST THE BCKGROUND OF THE FALL OF CHINA TO THE COMMUNISTS. FILMED IN HONG KONG, IT IS ALSO ON OBJECT LESSON FOR AMERICANS ON HOW MUCH AMERICAN FILMS ARE ADMIRED AROUND THE WORLD. ITS STYLE OF COMEDY IS ENTIRELY DERIVATIVE, USING EVERY CLICHE OF 1930'S Hollywood screwball COMEDIES YOU CAN IMAGINE. iTS SLAVISH IMITATIon IS WHAT IS SO CHARMING ABOUT IT. iTS ALSO A LOVE STORY, as most screwball comedies are.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

A classic and classy play.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Tsui Hark without martial art and a heartfelt tribute to cosmopolitic China (be it Shanghai or HK...): in a way, the style reminds me of an Italian "White Telephone" comedy of the '30s, so let me keep it in a soft spot of my cine-mongery.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Hark Tsui

Director

Kenny Bee

Tung Kwok-Man

Sylvia Chang

Shu-Shu

Sally Yeh

Stool

Raymond To

Screenwriter

Koon-Chung Chan

Screenwriter

Shanghai Blues: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In 1937 after The Second Sino-Japanese War breaks out a soldier and a young woman have an awkward meet cute in darkness under a bridge as they seek refuge during a bomb raid. Although they can't see each other's faces they promise to meet again after the dust settles. Ten years later the soldier, now a burgeoning songwriter and tuba-player in a marching band, is back in town desperately searching for his would-be soulmate. As fate would have it they end up living in the same building unbeknownst to each other. Through a series of mishaps he mistakes her new ingénue roommate for his love interest and wacky love triangle hijinks ensue. Consummate auteur Tsui Hark almost singlehandedly reinvented Hong Kong cinema in the 80's and 90's with uber-kinetic genre opuses, amping up cinematic spectacle whether with special effects or sheer unbridled energy. This Hong Kong styled homage to the screwball comedies of yesteryear features black belt level slapstick and delightfully droll romcom shenanigans. With striking mise en scene and inspired production design Shanghai Blues is, "...luscious, loving and a lot of fun...one of Tsui Hark's most enjoyable works" - Richard James Havis, South China Morning Post.

Director: Hark Tsui
Producer: Hark Tsui
Screenwriter: Raymond To, Koon-Chung Chan, Cheuk-Hon Szeto
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Film Workshop
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 20, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 27, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.7K
Runtime: 1h 43m