This is one film I've been longing to see, but after only coming across the sequel for quite a period I finally happened upon the original film. To say I was slightly disappointed when I finally watched it
would be partially correct. I liked it, but wasn't hugely impressed by it with its looming reputation. Quite a much talked about and highly praised Honk Kong fantasy martial arts spectacle directed by Ronny Yu. I actually expected more to it
oh well.
Nonetheless it kept me captivated with some outrageously wild and inventive set-pieces, where the fast action choreography knew no boundaries and they can be brutally bloody as well. Yu's direction (a confident display in craftsmanship) is kinetically flashy and dazzlingly vibrant in colour filtering, but it had more than just visually vigorous and leaping action caught by beautifully swoosh photography and a soothingly soaring score there's a plot too. A typically old-hat and theatrical one. From the get-go the mystical story is completely wishy-washy as you try to follow what's going on, but then it finally settles down to tell of an poetically touching love story of forbidden romance that could only end in tragedy. It felt like a mature fairytale with a thoughtful (if raggedly simple) narrative wrapped around its brimming atmospheric activity. Moments within the story do bog down the pace with it going on to feel too simple with its character's plights, and at times the boundless spray of martial arts seemed a little too hectic for its own good.
Brigitte Lin is lusciously potent as the title character (a very memorable I might add) and along side her Leslie Cheung leaves a fine mark with his warm-hearted performance. Francis Ng and Elaine Lui (who actually can get annoying) superbly make lightweight of their roles as the Siamese-twins of the evil cult.
Again I liked it and it has ambition, but I didn't find it particularly special.
Nonetheless it kept me captivated with some outrageously wild and inventive set-pieces, where the fast action choreography knew no boundaries and they can be brutally bloody as well. Yu's direction (a confident display in craftsmanship) is kinetically flashy and dazzlingly vibrant in colour filtering, but it had more than just visually vigorous and leaping action caught by beautifully swoosh photography and a soothingly soaring score there's a plot too. A typically old-hat and theatrical one. From the get-go the mystical story is completely wishy-washy as you try to follow what's going on, but then it finally settles down to tell of an poetically touching love story of forbidden romance that could only end in tragedy. It felt like a mature fairytale with a thoughtful (if raggedly simple) narrative wrapped around its brimming atmospheric activity. Moments within the story do bog down the pace with it going on to feel too simple with its character's plights, and at times the boundless spray of martial arts seemed a little too hectic for its own good.
Brigitte Lin is lusciously potent as the title character (a very memorable I might add) and along side her Leslie Cheung leaves a fine mark with his warm-hearted performance. Francis Ng and Elaine Lui (who actually can get annoying) superbly make lightweight of their roles as the Siamese-twins of the evil cult.
Again I liked it and it has ambition, but I didn't find it particularly special.