There is no law against homosexuality in China, but persecution needs no law; homosexuals are hounded and often arrested for "hooliganism." A-Lan, a young writer, taunts a policeman and manages to have himself interrogated for an entire night, in which he tries to maintain both his right to his own sexual identity and his infatuation with the policeman. A-Lan’s night-long recital of his particular tastes reveals the coloration of the general repression of Chinese society. Like his earlier work, Zhang’s film is diamond-hard in confronting subjects never openly discussed in China, but here he demonstrates a new sophistication in technique and production. East Palace, West Palace is sumptuous in its images, and the performances by the actors are both rich in psychological understanding and emotionally moving.