whs5

Just wondering, why all the Esperanto references (signs, newsstand dialogue, clips of "Incubus")? It's kind of interesting; but, I can't figure what it means.

Otherwise the best thing about the film is the cinematography, particularly of the cityscape. (Some of this Vancouver must be CGI-enhanced.)

Poor Parker Posey by the way--from Queen of Independents to unbilled supporting roles. She's perfectly cast here as a camp vampire bitch. Doesn't she deserve more, though?

I assume that for Natasha Lyonne this was just a cameo.

"Purple Butterfly" puts us in media res in a moment in history--the years leading up to the Second Sino-Japanese War--that may be unfamiliar to some viewers. It links the lives of several people tragically brought together with a time-scrambling plot, a device familiar from "Amores Perros." This combination may account for some of the impatience and confusion some viewers have expressed; but I found the film brilliant. I particularly liked the courageously (for Westerners)slow pace of many scenes--the scene at the railway station, where the protagonist (played by Zhang Ziyi) gradually moves from background to foreground, is especially good. Those looking for Hong Kong-style action will be disappointed. Those open to a humane, thoughtful twist on the intrigue genre will probably like it. Fans of Ms. Zhang from her martial arts films will have the opportunity to see her in a less stylized role.