Didn't read the book. But the previews looked good. And the reviews were fairly good as well. Worth a blind buy?

I watched it last night. I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to.

I would say it is not a good blind buy. I thought the film was OK, certainly nothing more. It was beautiful to look at (thus its technical Oscars) but rather plodding and uninspired. It did not get very good reviews (an anemic 35% positive at Rotten Tomatoes). I would not watch it a second time.

This film is crap.

This is what results from a film put together for the sole purpose of being "Oscar bait", hewing closely to every element of the formula, and utterly failing to achieve anything at all worthwhile.

I read the book, which was decent and enjoyable, if somewhat ahistorical and lacking in high literary merit, and I love the three main actresses and know their work extensively as I'm a huge fan of Asian cinema. This film failed the source horribly, and failed the actresses unforgivably. It should reside on everyone's "worst list", but first you'd have to watch it... and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Not a good blind buy at all. I love the book (read it 3x) ; but the movie no replay value and the more you think about it, they movie just gets dumber and dumber.

Did you know that in WW2 Japan they speak broken English with a Chinese accent? No that is historical accuracy for ya!

Yes but even if worst comes to worst and you hate the movie, you still just get to stare at Zhang Ziyi for 2 plus hours. Gong Li is not hard on the eyes either.

. Reason why I "blind-buy" this DVD.

Not a bad movie, but not sure if its worth a blind buy...You havent read the book, so you will probably not like it a lot less than others who have. Its one of my favorite books, so when I watched it, was very much let down by it. I actually thought both Gong Li and Ziyi Zhang did well considering how plodding the pace of the movie was.

Not a bad movie, I'd say go for it

Saw it today, Liked it. I would have been better in its subject language, and not in english. But I know it was written over here.... And Zhang Ziyi/Ziyi Zhang wasn't in it for 2hours+, more like 1H 45M

I say buy it.

It has its flaws, but it's an amazingly beautiful film to watch with excellent (and underrated performances) by Ziyi Zhang and Gong Li (who was robbed of an Oscar nomination (and win)).

I just finished, and I agree with ReduxGuy. There are some problems with how the story is told, but the acting and the beautiful scenery and cinematography make it all worthwhile. It was a joy for me to watch.

Dion Beebe's cinematography for Memoirs was gorgeous, but it was a fluke win.

It should have gone to Rodrigo Prieto.

Horrible film. Not a good blind buy.