This viewing guide is intended for answering questions regarding the history background and plot structure of the film. If you has yet seen the film, please stop right here.

A. The History Background

By late 19th Century, China had become a sick giant weakened by aggression of the Western powers and internal conflicts. Japan, the other hand, had gradually risen as a new super power in Asia, after successfully reformed its political and economical structure. The first Sino-Japanese War (1894 - 1895) ended with China's defeat. As the result of the conflict, Japan seized control of Korea, forced China to cede Taiwan, and sent troops to China's Northeast (known as Manchuria in the west) for the first time. A decade later, Japan fought another war with Russia (1904 - 1905) for dominating China's Northeast and Korea. Russia lost the battle and Japan gained more territorial and economical interests from the Northeast. During the following two decades, Japan were  continuously gaining more interests through a series of military and diplomatic incidents.

The story started in 1928 and writer director Lou Ye did not choose the year randomly. After China's Qin Dynasty was replaced by a republic government, warlord Zhang Zuolin seized control of the Northeast. In June 1928, commanders of the Japanese Army assassinated Zhang Zuolin, after they concluded that Zhang would not satisfy Japan's demand for more interest in China. Six month later, Zhang Zuolin's son Zhang Xueliang, declared the entire Northeast territory joint the Chinese Nationalist Government.

The rest of the story is set in 1931. Japan's was severely shattered by the Great Depression and once again, war became the solution for Japan's economical problem. On September 18, Japanese Army blew up a few meters of Southern Manchuria Railway and blamed it on Chinese bandits. Japan used the incident as an excuse to invaded the rest of Northeast and seize control of the entire region within three months.

In January 1932, Japan attacked Shanghai in attempt to strengthening its occupation of the Northeast. During the following three months, resistance from Chinese troops made Japan's military action fruitless and a ceasefire was reached. In March, Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet state was established in the Northeast. in 1937, Japan waged a full-scale invasion of China and quickly occupied a large area of Chinese territories, including Shanghai. By 1939, when war broke out in Europe, large-scale campaigns had already ended in China.

B. Historical Events Featured in the Film

1928, the Northeast:

    - Several Japanese youths walking in the street, wearing Japanese military banners on their forehead. -  Many Japanese had immigrated to China's Northeast by 1928 and among them, the extremists were pushing for military action against China.

    - At the train station, dozens of Japanese soldiers running on the platform - Japanese troops were stationed along the railways in the southern part of Northeast.

    - Xin Xia's brother running a newspaper calling for resisting Japanese aggression - Though the character is fictional, there were many such publications at that time.

    - Students and factory workers protesting Japanese aggression.

1931, Shanghai:

    - A young boy selling newspapers with the news of Japanese invasion of the Northeast.

    - The street was patrolled by white cops - this hints the story takes place inside the so-called Shanghai International Settlement, a concession controlled by the Western powers and a city within a city. This also explains why both Purple Butterfly and the Japanese spy station must operate undercover.

    - Students protesting Japanese aggression.

    - Fire in the street - many Chinese were boycotting and burning Japanese goods at that time.

    - Japanese monks walking in the street, mobs setting a building on fire, a young paper vendor yelling "Extra! Extra! War! War!" and then houses were bombed and burned - January 18, 1932, five Japanese monks were attacked by a mob hired by Japanese spies outside of San You Industrial Company and the day after, the company was torched by a Japanese mob. Japan used the monks incident as the main excuse to attack Shanghai on January 28. Next day, Japanese planes dropped bombs on Zhabei, a district of Shanghai.

C. The Ending

The ending is probably the most confusing part of the film. Just pay attention to the very last shot and you will spot Yiling sitting on the street car. She is on her way to the train station. So, the last 14 minutes is actually a flashback.