The Bride with White Hair: Mandarin Films Company Ltd./Tai Seng Video Distribution
Rating: USA: Unrated (Probably R for violence)
After the blockbuster success of 1987’s Ching Siu-tung/Tsui Hark production Chinese Ghost Story, Hong Kong was innundated with wave after wave of supernatural fantasy films with characters dressed in period garb. The majority of these films were little more than sad attempts to mimic the style of CGS, but a few good films did materialize in the wake of this legendary Hong Kong release—and perhaps none of them were more impressive than Ronny Yu’s 1992 film, The Bride with White Hair.
The story itself is based on a two volume Chinese novel written in 1954 (which was also the inspiration for the 1982 film Wolf Devil Woman), and tells the story of Lian (Brigitte Lin: Ashes of Time, The Bride with White Hair 2) and Cho (Leslie Cheung: A Better Tomorrow, Chinese Ghost Story)—two lovers from very different worlds. Lian, who was raised by wolves, rescues young Cho from a pack of hungry pack of her 'kin'. Cho eventually winds up as a student of the Wu Tang Clan, a martial arts society encompassing eight other groups. Cho is a master swordsman, but he’s far more interested in living a quiet, peaceful life than engaging in battle and eventually running the clan.
Meanwhile, Lian has been taken in by Ji Wu Shuang, an evil half man/half woman creature who plans to destroy the Wu Tang. Lian, with her ferocious fighting skills and her powerful whip (which she uses to slice people in half), makes the perfect weapon for the hideous Ji’s cause—until she meets a grown up Cho on the battlefield. Cho remembers his savior, and pursues her through the forest—forsaking Wu Tang for the chance to find love—and find love he does. Lian, who was never given a first name, becomes just as smitten with Cho as he is with her after Cho takes the time to christen her Ni-chang. The two vow to always trust each other, and to leave their current lives behind and start anew together—but, as is the case in almost all good stories, things don’t turn out quite the way you’d expect.
Truthfully, the film is basically a Chinese version of Romeo and Juliette, with our two star-crossed lovers facing obstacles even more serious than the Montagues and Capulets. While this love story takes shape, China itself is on the verge of civil war—with each of our heroes being a main component of each side’s plan of attack…so no one wants to simply let them ride off into the sunset, and that’s where much of the second half of the film’s drama comes from. The male form of Ji lusts after Lian—and when she spurns his advances, it sends him into an extreme rage—a rage that will have some serious repercussions for everyone in the film. The Wu Tang want Cho to be their next leader—and use his sword skills to help them defeat the villainous Ji.
While the story itself is interesting, what really sets the film apart is the direction of Ronny Yu (The Occupant, Bride of Chucky). Yu, who is one of Hong Kong’s most stylish directors, goes all out here. Utilizing the skills of cinematographer Peter Pau, the two team up and make one of the most visually stunning fantasy films of all time. Yu, who shot the film on some vacant studio soundstages, creates a film that’s breathtaking to behold. Rich and vibrantly painted backgrounds fill many of the scenes, and while they’re more colorful than anything we’d ever hope to see in real life, they actually add to the mythic mood implied by the ancient time period.
Equally exciting are the film’s action sequences. While Yu and company employ a fair amount of both wire-fu (where actors don harnesses to fly through the air) and some undercranking to speed things up, it never really hurts the film. Clearly, these characters are superheroes from the past—and we don’t care that the feats they perform seem impossible—it’s all part of their mystique.
The film also features some fine performances as well. Brigitte Lin turns in one of her best performances ever here as Lian. She’s expressive throughout, but when the climax rolls around, and her hair turns white, she really shines—using her long tresses as a weapon, strangling those who stand against her. Leslie Cheung is entertaining as Cho—he’s one of Hong Kong’s big stars—and he’s very well suited for this role—managing to be both heroic, world weary, and strangely vulnerable all at once. Still the show stealing performances come from Francis Ng and Elaine Lui, each plays one half of the villainous Ji. Ji is a real hoot to watch, particularly as the two actors banter back and forth over the male half’s romantic interest in Lian. Lui has a deliriously cool cackle, which she employs time and time again throughout the movie—this character alone makes the film worth watching.
However, for all the plusses, the film does still have a few faults. First, and most glaring, is that it has a pace that flags a bit in the middle. There aren’t any out and out boring or slow parts, but if you’re an action junkie, there are more than a few lulls between the impressive battle sequences. Truthfully, I think most of the problem probably stems from trying to adapt a two-volume novel and turn it into an hour and a half film. Yu wants us to have a plot to go along with the action—a desire that necessitates some expository scenes interspersed throughout the narrative.
The other problem is the ending itself. While the film gives us a decidedly un-Hollywood ending (which is fine with me), it’s all a bit abrupt—and leaves a lot of dangling plot threads (threads which are sort of wrapped up in the sequel, but not in an entirely satisfactory manner). A brief epilogue would have gone a long way—still, these aren’t major flaws…this movie is still a classic—it just could have been even better.
Honestly, the few flaws aside, The Bride with White Hair stands as one of my all-time favorite films. It’s got a wonderful, romantic, action-filled adventure story that’s filled with rich and interesting characters, some beautiful direction and cinematography, and some very cool fight sequences. It’s got a distinctly Hong Kong feel to it, yet it’s also very accessible to western audiences—in fact, it’s another one of those films that I’d recommend to someone who’s interested in checking out some Hong Kong films, but doesn’t know where to start. If you’re at all interested in historic fantasy films, then Bride with the White Hair is well worth adding to your video collection.
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