Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Sunflower And The Secret Fan


If there is one thing I am absolutely in love with it's Chinese historical dramas. They are so beautiful and lyrical to watch. Some, like 'Curse of the Golden Flower', 'Red Cliff', 'Hero', 'House of Flying Daggers' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' are truly EPIC.

'Snowflower and the Secret Fan' looks to have none of the martial art or technical wizardry of the above mentioned films but it appeals to me greatly nonetheless.

Thanks again to my Serbian brother Dez for being on top of the things that I want to see and experience.

7 comments:

DrGoat said...

I love stuff like that too. Well written and evoking a past age.
I've also been watching a lot of the masterpiece & BBC series stuff like 'Cranford', a truly amusing and worthwhile series. Check it out.

DEZMOND said...

Yep, this ain't gonna be no martial arts film :) It will be a touching drama with a western touch.
I find it refreshing that the film doesn't star Zhang Ziyi, since most of Chinese film seem to feature her. Or at least they featurED her, since she is now quite resented in her homeland after that horrible scandal she had with some charity money.

Kal said...

I love Zhang for all the things she has done - her balletic athletisism is amazing but she is not the only gorgeous asian girl out there. I have avoided reading about the scandal she was involved with because I don't want to hate her. Gong Li is another actress I like but any of them with that kind of classic training in Chinese theatre are so elegant to watch. A lovely dance.

DEZMOND said...

and don't forget the most refined among them all - Michelle Yeoh, probably the only Asian actress with Western approach to acting. She is actually a contestant in HOLLYWOOD SPY'S new poll :)

Kal said...

Ah Michelle. The only woman worthy of the great swordsman Li Mu Bai's love. I think I need to watch me some 'Crouching Tiger' tonight.

Margaret Benbow said...

I loved "Crouching Tiger," except that when they had their swordfights, I wanted them to stay on the damn ground and not do all that treetop stuff. And when Ziyi Zhang's character committed suicide at the end because she felt guilty--it seemed selfish rather than noble to me, because she left her lover grieving. Yes, I know my reactions were Western and inappropriate. But still.

Kal said...

You do have to suspend disbelief when you watch many of those films but to me it's a good trade for all the good things you get in return. Ziyi sacrificed her life for love which in that culture is noble.