Trivia

The film's title has several layers of meaning. On one level, it is a description of the nameless character played by Ruan Lingyu, who is equated with a protective goddess in the film. On another level, the title refers to her character's occupation, in that the Chinese term shennü, while primarily meaning "goddess", also was an old euphemism for a prostitute.

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

This film has a 100% rating based on 5 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.