Zhang Yuan (Green Tea) doesn't abandon the stage roots of East Palace, West Palace and rightly so. He does superbly expands on the premise via several flashbacks and fantasy sequences though, mainly from the perspective of Han Si's character. A young man who gladly lusts for the definition of love the extreme way (him being gay doesn't matter), being viewed upon as actually sick by the cop. But through what seems like endless and even pointless conversations going round and round, director Zhang reaches the desired boiling point where especially the Hu Jun character displays more bottled up conflicted emotions. How and if they will manifest themselves in front of his "prisoner" becomes a strong driving force for East Palace, West Palace and Zhang Yuan delivers a strikingly, poignant ending. Be prepared to be jerked around a little because this reserved cinematic landscape holds keys to substance of the greater kind. Vicky Zhao (Shaolin Soccer) appears briefly.

The Chinese government didn't approve of the taboo ridden film and revoked director Zhang Yuan's passport as well as putting him under house arrest. Friends smuggled out a print of the film out of the country in order for the film to be screened at Cannes.