Starring Leslie Cheung and Gong Li Directed by Chen Kaige Rated R, with violence, implied sex and drug use Running time 115 minutes; in Chinese, with English subtitles Jack gives this film a rating of 7 out of 10

(July 25, 1997) -- Temptress Moon, a new film from Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, spotlights a wealthy family fractured by schemes, betrayals, drug addiction, sex and incest. Heck, there's enough steamy decadence here to fill a half-dozen Tennessee Williams plays.

But, despite its rotten core, Chen's story is bathed in opulent moonlight. Typical of recent Chinese films, Temptress Moon is a sumptuous treat of deep shadows, rich colors and flowing camera movement. Unfortunately, the film's considerable attributes are undermined by its slow, dreamlike pace and sense overediting. The plot is sometimes jangled, as we jump from locale to locale and from entanglement to entanglement.

But for viewers willing to pay attention, Temptress Moon rewards with engrossing performances, stunning visuals, and a denouement that packs an emotional wallop.

Temptress Moon reunites director Chen Kaige with notable Chinese actors Leslie Cheung and Gong Li, who previously starred in Chen's Oscar-nominated Farewell My Concubine. The story opens in 1911, when a young boy named Zhongliang is brought to live with relatives on the country estate of the wealthy Pang family. He's soon disgruntled to realize they plan to use him as a servant. One of his tasks is to prepare the opium pipes for the addicted members of the family.

After the boy is pushed into an incestuous relationship, he flees. Though he vows to join revolutionaries in Beijing, he gets on the wrong train and heads for Shanghai. As the story jumps ahead, Zhongliang has grown into a gigolo and con artist (Leslie Cheung). And his mob boss orders him to return to the Pang family estate to seduce the gorgeous Pang Ruyi (Gong Li), the heiress of the family fortune.

Other relatives also become involved, including Zhongliang's sister, as well as a seemingly dimwitted poor relation named Duanwu (Kevin Lin). Much scheming and backbiting ensues, and a treacherous old family secret is revealed. (Attentive filmgoers, by the way, won't be surprised.)

The Chinese have created the leading national cinema outside the U.S. in the 1990s -- and Temptress Moon is made with the high degree of artistry and lyric beauty we've come to expect from China. That said, Temptress Moon falls short of the emotional impact of Farewell My Concubine and the stunning Raise the Red Lantern.

Still, if you haven't yet discovered the fascinating imagery and engrossing culture displayed in such films, Temptress Moon is good enough to make the introduction.