Shanghai Blues (1984)

A partially-coherent parade of simple-minded, farcical slapstick comedy routines, loosely following Do-re-mi, a former cabaret clown cum military tuba player, as he tries to hunt down Shu-Shu, the girl he met once under a bridge. She lives next door, with a roommate, and they all interact frequently without realizing who each other are. Every translation has a different variation on their names… the roommate's name is sometimes translated "Skinny Bags" and sometimes "Stool."

It takes place in a post-Sino-Japanese War Shanghai, ten years after the Japanese bombing of Shanghai, and gleefully presents the demented lives of veterans and working-class citizens as they try to survive a world of runaway hyperinflation.

The sets and costumes are really nice: complex, detailed, varied, and fun. It has complex and well-executed choreography of the masses of people making fools of themselves at any given moment. The cinematography isn't exactly artistic, but nice and professional. The only slight problems are the stupid plot, overly-theatrical acting, and atrocious voice sync (though I can't be certain that isn't my streaming service's fault). At least they hang it on a thoughtful theme.

First-billed in the credits, before any actors or actresses, is Pine And Bamboo Restaurant.