Watch Suzhou River

Suzhou River is a 2000 Chinese film directed by Lou Ye. The film tells the story of a motorcycle courier in Shanghai named Mardar (played by Jia Hongsheng) who falls in love with a woman named Meimei (played by Zhou Xun), a professional dancer who has been hired to perform at a local bar. Meimei, however, is involved with a wealthy businessman and Mardar becomes obsessed with her.

The film begins with Mardar narrating the story of a beautiful young woman he met on Suzhou River. He starts to tell the story of their relationship and what went wrong. The story then jumps to five years earlier when Mardar first meets Meimei. Mardar is hired to transport two men around the city, one of whom is the wealthy businessman who is romantically involved with Meimei. Mardar is asked to deliver a package to Meimei, and he is immediately struck by her beauty.

Meimei is dissatisfied with her relationship with the businessman and begins an affair with Mardar. They meet secretly in a hotel room, where Meimei tells Mardar about her dream of escaping to Amsterdam with the money she has accumulated. Mardar is initially hesitant but later agrees to help her. However, just before they leave, Meimei disappears.

Mardar spends the next few years searching for Meimei, but to no avail. The film jumps back and forth between past and present as Mardar continues to search for her. His obsession with Meimei becomes all-consuming, and he starts to take drastic measures to find her. He even goes so far as to kidnap a young girl who he believes is Meimei in order to try and force her to tell him where the real Meimei is hiding.

Suzhou River is a moody and atmospheric film that captures the neon-lit streets of Shanghai at night. The film is told in a non-linear fashion, with the story unfolding through Mardar's narration and flashbacks. The film is also notable for its use of digital video, which gives it a gritty, documentary-style look.

The film explores themes of love, loss, and obsession. Mardar's obsession with Meimei drives him to take extreme actions, and the film raises questions about the nature of love and the lengths people will go to for it. The film also explores the idea of identity and how it can be shaped and influenced by other people.

Zhou Xun delivers a captivating performance as Meimei, capturing both her vulnerability and her strength. Hongsheng Jia is equally impressive as Mardar, conveying the character's desperation and obsession with great intensity. The film features a haunting score by Andre Matthias and Daniel M. Anderson that enhances the film's moody atmosphere.

Suzhou River is a powerful and haunting film that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche. Its non-linear structure and use of digital video make it an innovative and memorable film that lingers long after the credits roll.

Suzhou River is a 2000 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 76.