Don't listen to the negative reviews

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Well, I grant you that the film could have been much better with Chinese dialog, but since I do not speak Chinese, English worked fine for me. I found the colorite of the periode just great. Costumes, interior, culture - but than again - I'm not Chinese and are probably not able to see the flaws and am very happy for it. I liked the film, that I by chance came by, and would not have seen if my sister had not tipped my off. I found that it was portraying the eara between old and new time quite believable as it take place around the Japanese invation of China. The lead man is an American and the one bringing change with him. The female lead is a strong Chinese lady who plays her role most brilliantly. The only drawback that I could see was the end that was too yacky for me knowing what Mao did to his country in the years that followed. If you like films about China this one could well be your thing.

I just watched this movie for the first time, August 2006, and was left wanting more. I found Willem Defoe charming and real. I will watch it again and again. I am glad it was "Americanized". I think showing the true characters of the far east would have made it boring and too callous in some situations. I prefer an idealized version for a "Romantic MOVIE", I'm tired of all the Realism in real life and this is a wonderful escape with just enough reality to snap you back. I can get all the reality I want with the news. The scenery was spectacular. The way of life for women showed to some degree how men treat women China. Made me feel that if I were a man, that is where I would want to be living. To be pampered all the time and not have to answer to anyone except mother. I was however, surprised how much respect was shown the the mother. Guess the father was dead? Definitely see this movie if you can appreciate a romantic movie. Excellent chick flick.Thank you for reading my review. A romantic at heart.

(spoilers???) Think we all new he was gonna die. But I didn't entirely care. It was the female Wu, I cared about her and the second sister who fell in love with female wu's son. It certainly is a drama. But parts of the movie and especially the end made no sense whatsoever. Has Dafoe come back as a ghost or what? I also got confused as to where in the heck the movie was based (I learned later China) They got Japan attacks close enough. Though the special effects were cheap.The english language was very annoying. Mr. Wu talked like an idiot. We laughed when we shouldn't have. His acting was the weak section of the movieIt was okay as a rental, but I'm not sure I'd buy it.6/10Quality: 6/10 Entertainment: 7/10 Replayable: 3/10

Anyone who liked Zhang Yimou's "Raise The Red Lantern" is a prospect for "Pavilion Of Women". Whereas "Raise The Red Lantern" explores the breaking of merely Chinese cultural taboos, "Pavilion Of Women" centres on a romance between leading characters who flout both Chinese and Western mores. This is a cross-cultural romantic story by the prolific American writer on China, Pearl S. Buck, set in the late 1930s. It has first class cross-cultural direction and acting, and was filmed on location in elegant settings of old Suzhou. It is a fine example of what the Chinese film industry can achieve in co-production.