Main Cast: Maggie Cheung, Joey Wong, Zhao Wenzhuo, Wu Hsing-Kuo, Ma Tsing-mou
Release Year: 1993
Country: HK
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
Snakes and special effects abound as human and mythical worlds collide in this lavish variation of an old Chinese fable about a learned man who falls under the spell of two snake women. After 1,000 years of practice, White Snake is finally able to take on a completely human form. Hsu Hsien, the scholar, falls in love with the lovely White Snake. Her sister, Green Snake, is not as adept at shape-shifting as she has only practiced for 500 years. She is human above the waist only. The serpentine sisters are hunted by a Buddhist monk who is almost to nirvana, and a Taoist monk determined to rid the area of all snakes. When the two forces finally meet, Hsu stands by as a secular witness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Review
Director Tsui Hark's lush treatment of the Lilian Lee novel that has been adapted for the screen more than a dozen times in Chinese cinema is a great introduction to Chinese romantic fantasy for those who may not be familiar with the genre. Fast-paced, humorous, and strikingly visual, Harks' interpretation of the tale of two serpentine sisters who long to assume human form is beautifully filmed, poetic, and fun, even if its budget at times betrays its ambitious scope. As snake sisters Green and White (Maggie Cheung and Joey Wang respectively), the two talented actresses have their reptilian mannerisms honed to near perfection. Though branded as inhuman predators who poison and corrupt mankind's virtue by an intimidating Buddhist monk (Wing Zhao) who has vowed to destroy the reptilian siblings, the audience's sympathies ultimately reside with Green and White, who for the most part appear vastly more human than the well-intentioned but self-righteously vicious monk. Hark's sensuous visuals (courtesy of cinematographer Ko Chiu-lam) and innovative direction create an exciting and elegantly romantic fable that isn't afraid to shed its skin and lighten the mood when it starts to take itself too seriously. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Lui Cho-Hung - Art Director, Tang Chia - Choreography, Yuen Pan - Choreography, Ng Po-Ling - Costume Designer, Tsui Hark - Director, Ah Tsik - Editor, James Wong - Composer (Music Score), Lui Tsung-Tak - Composer (Music Score), Ko Tsiu - Cinematographer, Tsui Hark - Producer, Ng See Yuen - Producer, Tsui Hark - Screenwriter, Lilian Lee - Screenwriter, Lilian Lee - Book Author
The novel itself is a variation of a Chinese folk taleMadame White Snake, where Lillian Lee tells the story from the perspective of Xiaoqing, the Green Snake, who normally plays a minor role behind the main character Bai Suzhen, the White Snake. As the title suggests, the movie also features Xiaoqing as the main character.
Plot
Two snake spirits have been training for many centuries to take human form and experience the love, freedom and wisdom that is supposedly only available to humans. White Snake (Joey Wong) is the more experienced one and proceeds to get engaged with local scholar Hsui Xien (Wu Hsing-Kuo), with whom she plans to have a child who would complete her passage into the mortal realm. Green Snake (Maggie Cheung) is the younger and more impulsive of the two sisters and she is not yet quite sure about the benefits of the human world. The two snakes move into their magically created house and start a successful medical practice in the town.
Their enemies are a buffoonish Taoist and an overzealous Buddhist monk (Vincent Zhao) who make various attempts to banish them from the human world. The monk thinks of himself as a keeper of the natural order of the world and is very prejudiced against spiritual beings seeking to improve themselves. He brings things to a head when he abducts White's husband from the human/spirit mixed marriage into his religious reeducation camp–styled temple.
