Suzhou River

Suzhou River

Year: 2000

Runtime: 83 min

Language: Chinese

Director: Ye Lou

DramaRomance

Amidst the vibrant backdrop of Shanghai's Suzhou River, a complex love story takes shape. Motorcycle courier Marda becomes deeply infatuated with the mysterious Moudan, leading to a passionate but ultimately tragic romance. His attempt to kidnap her for ransom leads to imprisonment. Upon his release, Marda seeks comfort with MeiMei, who bears a striking resemblance to Moudan, blurring the lines between reality and desire, and forcing him to confront the nature of true love.

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Timeline & Setting – Suzhou River (2000)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Suzhou River (2000). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Shanghai, Suzhou River, Happy Tavern

Shanghai serves as the film's urban backdrop, centered on the Suzhou River and the Happy Tavern where Meimei performs as a mermaid. The action shifts between the tavern, shadowy warehouses in the river's outskirts, and a suburban convenience store, highlighting a world of secret lives and chance encounters. The Suzhou River itself acts as a recurring symbol of memory, desire, and the murky boundary between illusion and reality.

🏙️ Urban Shanghai 🌊 Suzhou River 🎭 Nightlife

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:26

Main Characters – Suzhou River (2000)

Meet the key characters of Suzhou River (2000), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Meimei (Zhou Xun)

Meimei performs as a mermaid in a large water tank at the Happy Tavern in Shanghai. The Videographer falls in love with her, but she disappears for days at a time, leaving him heartbroken. Later, she becomes involved in the intertwined stories of Mardar and Moudan and begins to fall for him as well.

🎭 Performer 💖 Romance 🔎 Mystery

Mardar (Jia Hongsheng)

A small-time crook and motorcycle courier who ferries Moudan to her aunt's apartment. He falls in love with Moudan while keeping his distance from his criminal past, but becomes entangled in a kidnapping plot involving Xiao Hong and Lao B. He is arrested when the scheme falls apart.

🏍️ Courier 💔 Love 🔪 Crime

Moudan (Zhou Xun)

Daughter of a wealthy liquor importer, Moudan begins a romance with Mardar. She is kidnapped by criminals who demand ransom; when she realizes her perceived value to her father and the abductors, she throws herself into the Suzhou River, though her body is never found.

💎 Heiress 💔 Tragedy 🕵️‍♂️ Mystery

The Videographer (Zhang Ming Fan)

Hired to record Meimei's performances, he becomes emotionally involved with her and recounts Mardar and Moudan's past. He develops feelings for Meimei but ultimately chooses not to pursue her after she disappears again, leaving the ending open and reflective.

🎬 Filmmaker 💘 Melancholy 🧭 Reflection

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:26

Major Themes – Suzhou River (2000)

Explore the central themes of Suzhou River (2000), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💖 Love and Obsession

The narrative traces how love can morph into obsession as characters pursue lost lovers across a sprawling city. Longing drives choices that blur moral lines and pull people into dangerous entanglements. Relationships are tested by secrecy, betrayal, and the pull of memories that refuse to fade.

🌃 Urban Fate

The city functions as a living maze where chance encounters shape destinies. The Suzhou River and nightlife venues become stages for revelations, disappearances, and irreversible decisions. The urban setting magnifies the tension between appearance and hidden truth.

🕵️ Identity and Illusion

Characters wear masks of romance, crime, and performance, complicating what is real. The Videographer's storytelling frames the events as a layered tale, blurring memory and narration. The result is a meditation on how identity is constructed and what remains when stories end.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:26

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Suzhou River Summary

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Suzhou River Summary

Suzhou River Timeline

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Suzhou River Timeline

More About Suzhou River

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