Three Modern Women: A Glimpse into Old Shanghai

Is it worth your time?

If you like old Shanghai cinema, absolutely. If you need explosions or fast pacing, steer clear. It's for people who enjoy watching how people lived, rather than just what they did.

There is this moment about halfway through where the main characters are just sitting in a room, and the way the light hits their hair feels weirdly tactile. It’s not a big plot point. It just happens.

The pacing is honestly all over the place. Sometimes it feels like the camera is stuck in mud, just lingering on a doorway, waiting for someone to finally walk through. Then suddenly, it zooms through a scene like it’s late for dinner.

Notes from the couch

• The fashion is distractingly good. Those dresses move like liquid.
• I swear the background actors are just staring at the camera in at least three shots. They look bored. I love that.
• The dialogue cards are long. Like, really long. You almost forget who is talking by the time you finish reading.

It’s funny comparing this to something like The Heir to the Hoorah. Both deal with expectations, but this one feels a lot more claustrophobic. You can feel the city pressing in on them.

There is a scene where one of the women looks out a window, and the silence is so heavy it’s almost loud. The movie didn’t need a score there. It just needed her face.

Is it perfect? Hardly. Sometimes the drama feels a bit forced, like they are trying to fit too many lessons into one hour. But there’s a honesty in the way they walk—they look like they actually live in those clothes. Not every movie pulls that off.

I found myself wondering if they knew they were making something that would be watched a century later. Probably not. That makes the small details—like a stray cat wandering through the edge of a frame—feel even more special. 📽️

Don't expect a polished history lesson. It's just a snapshot, a bit blurry, a bit dusty, and totally worth checking out if you're in the mood for some old-school atmosphere.