The sorcerer And The White Snake.
Huzzah I have my blog back! Offline for 3 days due to me messing up the transfer to .org on my new domain. Suffice to say... it didn't work.
So I'm back here. Safe and sound after freaking out about how to undo what I did - totally missing the [x] on the bit where you set up the redirect thing - and couldn't work out how to reset it! Dip sh*t. Total idiot.
I have wasted most of my only day off being annoyed by stuff happening even though the old Chinese guy I spoke to last night for ages on the train made me so sparkly happy haps that I woke up in a great mood.
So I decided to turn it around and finish watching this movie. I started it the previous night but was too tired.
This movie is epic and fantastic in the true sense of the words.
I liked snakes already but this added a whole new level....
There are going to be too many screen shots, I will have to ramble on about nothing as much as possible to get them all in.
Good job I excel at that. Already accomplished 3 paragraphs of stupids.
I'm not entirely happy with this movie. I like it better when my heart doesn't get ripped open and left on the floor, but aside from that it is a stunningly beautiful, sweet and lovely film. Aesthetically wonderful with an interesting story and all the relevant martial arts leaping into the air and controlling the elements, with a perfectly cast lovable set of characters.
I need to fill this up with lots of text so I can put in these epic amounts of pictures but for some reason today I'm lost for words.
Ok, so maybe a cast list and synopsis will help fill a gap.
Jet Li - Abott Fahai
Shengyi Huang - White Snake
Raymond Lam - Xu Xian
Charlene Choi - Green Snake
Wen Zhang - Neng Ren
Jiang Wu - Turtle Devil
Vivian Hsu - Snow Goblin
Miriam Yeung - Rabbit Devil
Chapman To - Toad Monster
Kar-Ying Law - Mysterious Herbalist
Suet Lam - Chicken Devil
Sonija Kwok - Bu Ming
This film is set where two worlds cross over.
The humans and demons are meant to live apart but the demons interfere in the human world with evil or mischievous intentions sometimes, requiring protectors of dharma to keep the balance.
These monks are powerful spiritual peacemakers, ready to fight all manner of beings to retain order and protect humans, as monks do, but there are still many traits of demon kind they over look. Namingly their ability to love. 
A cheeky pair of snake sisters play around with some humans gathering herbs for medicine one day and through consequences of the roughhousing the white snake ends up diving into the water to save the Herbalist Xu Xian as he drowns. Their encounter links them irreparably and they fall into a unique adorable love with each other.
The monks are of course hell bent on fending any demon away from the human world and demons can be extremely powerful and vengeful.
The couple can only live for so long in their fantasy of a relationship before the monks come knocking and reveal the white snake's true identity to her beloved husband.
...and all too late.
Gah, its pretty sad. I cried. I know I always cry, but still, it is pretty sad. I would rather it had a fluffy fuwa fuwa ending but I cant always get my way.
I have enough Japanese dramas to keep me satisfied with that I guess.
The reason I watch Chinese movies is for the fantasy and beautiful folk takes and mythology.
Not exactly for the cheesy happy Gokusen endings where everyone just magically becomes a great person.
I love all the demons, the settings and the magic. It is like Mushishi all over again. The first time I saw that I was so taken in by the look of it I almost forgot to pay attention to the story.
A similar thing happened with Báishé. I got all wrapped up in how pretty everything was I forgot it couldn't be all cheesy disney fuwa fuwa.
I love films like this. The subject matter is absolutely my favourite thing ever to watch. Fantasy magic type love and stuff. You do find that with all the beautiful fantasy there is a darker side.
Pan's labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Yim Pil-Sung's Hansel and Gretel, so many films that have stunning visuals but really dark undertones from the outset.
Báishé is not in that league at all, it is pretty much all fun and frolics for around 1 hour,
then the dun dun duuuuh music starts, she drinks the snake bite wine
and f*ck it, its all gone wrong in a flamey snakey wavey vengeful mess of flames and snakes and waves. And vengeance.
Shengyi Huang (Kung Fu Hustle, The Fantastic Water Babes) who plays white snake is *insert another word for stunning or beautiful that I havent already used*
Her eyes! Her eyes are captivating. And her mouth ...I can't really describe it, my eyes skate from one perfect feature to the next, trying to take it all in, whenever she is on screen.
My favourite was her sister the green snake played by Charlene Choi (Tripple Tap, Kung Fu Dunk, All about Love, Twins effect 1 & 2) who was so cheeky and sweet. The little side story between her and Neng Ren - played by Wen Zhang ^^ was really cute ...but also not fuwa fuwa - where the hell can I get me some happy fluffs around here??? Damn it.
I like the movies Jet Li is making now he doesn't want to promote violence. I loved them before but since then they are completely brilliant and fantastical. I love his kind, gentle looking face, a quick squee for monkey ^^ in Forbidden Kingdom, and he has such grace and that lovely voice, and suddenly this is turning into a fan girl sesh.
Ok well enough is enough.
Cute animals demons, epic battles in land, sea and air, a great musical score, and an excuse to have these lovely screen shots all over the front page of my site. Cant go too wrong there can you.
I think that is all I have to say on the matter. Look it cuter little mouse thing. Look it. Aww look it.
I think that is all I have to say on the matter. Look it cuter little mouse thing. Look it. Aww look it.
Ok, now I'm done.
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