Suzhou River

A videographer narrates the story of Mardar, a small-time crook who delivers packages without asking questions, until he is tasked with delivering Moudan, the daughter of a shady smuggler. After a failed kidnapping attempt sees Moudan disappear and Mardar imprisoned, Mardar returns to the Suzhou River to look for Moudan. Instead, he discovers Meimei, a woman who looks identical to his long-lost love, and also happens to be the subject of our videographer narrator’s obsession.  Set within the murky wastelands of Shanghai, Lou Ye’s award-winning re-tooling of Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a visual treat that features the kinetic style of Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express. A unique take on the neo-noir genre, Suzhou River is newly restored in 4K and made available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 4K restoration of the film from the original negative
• 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Newly filmed interview with critic and programmer Tony Rayns (2024, 33 mins)
• In Shanghai - a short film documentary portrait by Lou of his home city (2001, 16 mins) 
• Original trailer
• Optional English subtitles
• Sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow

Year: 2000
Cert: 15
Format: Blu-ray
Region: B
RAD048BD
EAN: 5060974680917
Release date: 24/03/25

Press:

“Deeply felt, richly realised… Lou Ye swoons to the memory of Hitchcock” Sight & Sound

★★★★★ “Beguiling… stylish film noir” - Empire

“Beautifully acted and masterfully controlled” - The Guardian

"As much about style as about love, Suzhou River echoes a lot of films, from the Hong Kong style of Wong Kar-wai to Kieslowski's The Double Life of Veronique, but the sum total is something with a freshness of its own" - LA Times