The Bride with White Hair (1993)

The Bride with White Hair

      The Bride with White Hair is a 1993 Hong Kong film by Ronny Wu loosely based on a wuxi a novel by Leung Yu-Sang.  The story is about the ill fated love between top assassin Lein Ni-Chang and swordsman Cho Yi-Hang from rival organizations.  

Lien Ni-Chang at the beginning

Before I ever saw the Bride with White Hair, I had zero knowledge of China, it's people and culture. At that point my only exposure had been Jackie Chan in the Drunken Master movie.  All I knew was of that funny humorous idea.  All I had been expose to in terms of attraction and love between Asian people and in this particular case Chinese was that they only went as far as holding one hand and the side hug where the woman placed her head on the man's shoulder.  So, the Bride with White Hair was quite a surprise and in a great way. 

Cho Yi-Hang

The Bride with White Hair is told in flashbacks, and we start the story with Cho Yi-Hang played by Leslie Cheung waiting a top a snow covered mountain waiting for a magical flower that only blooms every 20 years.  He then starts to tell his story to envoys who were sent to collect the flower for the dying emperor.  Cho was raised by a Taoist priest to be a swordsman.  Cho meets Lien Ni-Chang played by Brigitte Lin when she is killing these soldiers that are attacking a village.  Cho begins to fall for Lein, who was sent to kill him by her master the Siamese twin Chi Wu-Suang played by Francis Ng and Elaine Lui.  However, Lien finds herself also falling for Cho.   Both Cho and Lien decided to put aside their duties to both their cults and live a normal life together.    Lien suffers through great hardships but succeeds in leaving the cult.  Cho on the other end returns to the coalition to find many of his comrades murdered, all telling him that Lien was responsible.  The film concludes in a bloody finally with the question of "who do you trust?" at the very heart of it. 

Lien and Cho

Watching the Bride with White was an amazing experience.  For the first time I was seeing Chinese people in a light I did not even image was possible.  Here we had characters that questioned whatever code of conduct or way of being and seeing the world they had been fed.  I too was just starting to just be exposed to a bigger world in seeing the movie.  We had Lien who was labeled as evil yet she was the one defending this people who were helpless against these soldiers.  She even helps that woman give birth.  On the other hand we have Cho female comrade from the sect who kills the man to retrieve the jade that Cho gives him so he and his child maybe able to eat.  

The other thing i was exposed to was a world where anyone other then the macho Caucasian was attraction, sensual and sexual.  The Bride with White Hair portrayed people, Chinese at that as being sensual beings.  We have Lien (Brigitte Lin) who is attractive and mesmerizing at every level.  She is shown as being aware that she had as body and is appreciative off it.  There is a party scene where people are drinking, there's music and even naked bodies but none of it is made to be vulgar or shameful.

Lien are Cho are shown falling for each other and not just by throwing a few warm glances.  They like each other and want to give each other pleasure and share it.  They are intimate with each other. 

I think my favorite scene is when Lien's hair turns white. I think Brigitte Lin played it just beautifully.   Lien comes to find Cho after successfully leaving the cult thought she had to pretty literally walk through hell to do it.  Lien asks Cho to leave with her like they promised but the question of whether he trusts her drops over them like a grenade and everything gets obliterated.   

Siamese Twin

Even though I always had a tendency toward fantasy, in terms of cinema in general the Bride with White Hair solidified by love for wuxia.  Even if there are good movies I will automatically lean towards ancient Chinese wuxia related films and series.  

Catching Fire Book and Movie

Catching Fire

Katniss and Peeta are the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games.  Before embarking on the 'victory tour', President Snow pays Katniss a private visit.



Catching Fire, for me seemed to be a copy of the Hunger Games in terms that some of the things that happened in the Hunger Games seems to get repeated here again. District, train travel, another Hunger games.  One thing I really didn't understand even after finishing the book was how the world worked.  I am not sure I even was certain of how Panem was physically structured and how it made sense that if it's North America geographically more than one district should be able to have a fishing, or mining industry.   The way the world seemed to run just made little sense to me.  How was Snow in power the length that they seemed to allude that he had been in power.  At times President Snow seemed quite incompetent.

From the start of the book, why would Snow not just kill Katniss and Peeta, instead playing this whole idea of love which was false to begin with? Why not just kill the rebellion before it really formed if that was the case instead of everything that happened.    Also the whole idea of Katniss and Peeta's romance being portrayed as if it was a form of rebellion itself.

I liked the Hunger Games more than Catching Fire and despite it's flaws the books are not that bad.  One thing I liked and hoped would have appeared more was Katniss's first person narrative and assumptions that she feed to us as facts being challenged.  One particular example is that Katniss always states that District 12 is the poorest and worst district and at time Suzanne Collins has other characters repeat that.  However, when we meet some of the other victors we discover that it's not completely true and the only reason that we have that idea is because Katniss knows nothing of the other districts and she never makes any effort to find out.  I also liked Joanna, because when they group she's actually a vital part to the group. However at a point, Katniss just wants to kill her and it's because Joanna actually has a come back against her demands.  Finnick was also interesting but I did not like how Katniss kept thinking about ways to kill him but not wanting to do it herself she was trying to figure out who else would be able to do it.

I really did not understand the point of having a game winner. What is the purpose? I mean what we learn about the older victors is that their lives are in no way better for having won the game. Seriously, the game winners and their families are shunned, abused, they ended up becoming addicted to alcohol, drugs or others things.  In Finnick's case the moment he won he ended out being pimped out.  That's just horrid and he was a kid.

I really don't understand how the author created it so that the rebellion seem to center just around one person, Katniss.  Because if that really true then that rebellion is weak beyond measure.  The rebellion should be based on people wanting to overthrow the government to better their very existence and not because Katniss said they should.

Catching Fire in some ways was a better movie then Hunger Games. The movie was brighter and seemed to be on a grandeur scale.  I believe that many people prefer this movie to the Hunger Games in some parts there was no shaky camera work and many felt they understood the that Panem was run by a totalitarian government.  

        For me having read the books and seen the movies I still don't have so many questions that were not answered. For one how the government or Panem runs and how Snow is in power? How do people get to live in the capital as suppose to the district? What is it based on, wealth, lineage, job, geography? Is you earn a dollar less than a certain amount do you get sent to a district? If so what district? Can people travel and choose a district? Can you live in district 1 but making cloths is your calling can you move to district 8? Can people not travel to the capital or other districts even if they don't live there? Do people not take vacations?

The above pictures are three different maps of what Panem is suppose to look like that I found online. Just looking at them I wondered how were the district numbers designated? I mean district 4 is closer to 11 and 12 than it is to 5.  What happened to Hawaii, Florida and Alaska? If they are all under water, why is it that only district 4 has a fishing industry? Wouldn't there be multiple fishing industries in other districts near a coast thus having more food for people?

    To move on to the movie, these questions arose as I was watching.  I still don't understand why President Snow as powerful as he seemed would want to support the fake love story?   Also were all the victors being watched or was that done just to Katniss? It was always portrayed that Katniss was so dangerous but I only ever remember her killing one person in the Hunger Games.  Peeta killed no one.  Also during the Hunger Games and the victory tours things were always being broadcasted, especially Katniss's fake love story that was suppose to be a form of rebellion in itself and the protests.  I just had me wondering did editing no longer exist? What about the districts on different coasts?  Media is such a powerful tool that can be used to educate or mislead people. This had me wondering, is everything in Panem broadcast live everywhere all the time? Because if the goal especially in the Hunger Games was to have one victor, why did the game maker not just tell Katniss and Peeta they were both victors, but the killed one and then edited and broadcast a video showing only one victor? What could the victor possible do or say about that? Problem solved.  Which just made me think that however powerful President Snow is, he was probably incompetent.  Even that why would something like that demand his personal attention? Doesn't he have anyone he can delegate to that can do their job? 

      I was upset when they went back to the whole idea that Peeta had to be the one to survive the games in Catching Fire.  The Hunger Games made it so that to survive you had to kill, did not matter if the person was from your own district. Peeta did nothing to contribute to their survival in the Hunger Games, the bread thing doesn't matter nor the fake love story.  I did not understand nor like the constant forced idea that Peeta was too good for Katniss and that she owed him. 

      Even in this hunger games I did not understand the need for the volunteer rule to remain intact, because why couldn't Hyamitch just re-volunteer to go in if he wanted to save Peeta so much. If your chosen and someone volunteers for you, what's to stop you from saying no and still take your place?

      Hyamitch talks about how the Quarter Quell was that much more difficult because all the previous victors knew each other, but how? We got no evidence or mention of victors meeting or really interacting besides the previous victors being mentors to those in their district.  Even during the victory tour Katniss and Peeta never see, let alone meet any other victors.    Also the Quarter Quell had male and female victors from each district from different years. Wouldn't have there been a district without any victors at all?  We learn that most of the recent games have all been held in forested areas. So what about people from districts that are completely urban and know nothing about surviving in the wild like the two women that Katniss meets in the woods.  The few days they would spend during the evaluation in the capital would not be able to repair them to find water, food and shelter let alone learn to kill.  I mean the survival skills that the books portray that Katniss had as a hunter, she should be dead already.   

     I thought Effie was more of a fleshed out character in the movie, but it was upsetting to see that while most of the characters going into the Quarter Quell actual said things about how they felt about having to be in another game, Katniss only used her dress.  Here Katniss used fashion to deliver a message yet she always seemed to be insulting Effie and everyone who used fashion.  Katniss was always making judgements about other participants and what they wore but she was doing the same thing. It was only that Cinna did not wear as much make up and was a better designer?

Participants of the Quarter Quell

    I tried to figure out why President Snow listened so much to Plutarch? It seemed to me that Plutarch had been a game maker before Senneca then comes back. In made me wonder as to why the rebellion did not have more Plutarchs infiltrate the capital change things from the inside maybe kill Snow or something instead of resting their hope on Katniss, who knows nothing about the rebellion and hardly initiate any action. 

     When we enter the games, why did it take so long for the cannon to go off after Peeta's heart stop? They waited and waited for the long minutes for Finnick to restart his heart.  Isn't there someone responsible for the cannon and don't they know their job? How come no one found this suspicious and reported to Snow? What about the person at fell in the water? His cannon went off immediately, countless people have been saved from drowning, but I guess he had no team mate or anyone who cared about him.  The fog was a interesting way to kill people but why would the fog be held back by a forcefield that Katniss could just walk through? Wouldn't having fog and killer monkey overlap but more efficient?  I understood what they were trying to do with the jabber jay but why would any of them fall for it?

So as a movie Catching Fire an okay movie, but because there were things I did not like from the books and questions I had, I also had them about the movie.  I have found that with the recent trend of young adult books to movies especially series there is a problem that I see that are not being addressed.  I understand that usually studios start with the first book of a series and then if it does well they do the following books.  Books and movies are different mediums, somethings that work in one does not always work in the other.  For me I have come to see that what seems to work is an adaptation from one to the other not a direct copy.  Usually in the book things can be revealed more slowly but in movies you don't usually have the time and seeing a picture of a scene is a bit different then reading about the scene.  One usually needs you to create the image out of your own imagination with the information given but the other you have the image is already there.   That is why I think in a movie the world and how things work need to be set up from the beginning so you know what kind of world it is and it's rules.  However, books can sometimes give you the sense of the world little by little.  I usually get upset when I am given a set of rules of how a world works in a movie but then in the second or third movie starts to throw in more rules that usually contradict or make no sense with the rules we already had.  So I think some of these movies need to set up the world completely in the first movie even if some of that information maybe from the second or third book of a series.  

Hunger Games vs. Battle Royale

Battle Royale

Battle Royale takes place in an alternate time line where Japan is part of a state known as the Republic of Greater East Asia.  Under the guise of a school trip 42 students are taken to an isolated island to take part in the Program. The Program being the BR ACT created to help maintain order.   

I first saw Battle Royale when it was translated and available on DVD.  At the time I had never heard of the Hunger Games.  I don't think it had even been published yet.  I have yet to read the Battle Royale book but having seen the movie, I liked it.  What I liked was not just the content but how it was dealt with and some of the issues it brought up.

 Hunger Games

The Hunger Games movie was better than its book in the aspects that come to play when movies are made.  One being that you are no longer in Katniss's head although the story is still covered and colored by how she saw the world not an impartial narrator. Although a bit more so than in the book.  Second, was having some things be trimmed down, but that also goes to magnify some of vague ideas about how Panem worked. Also having good actors in some roles went in bettering the movie.

Having seen Battle Royale first then reading the Hunger Games, I couldn't help but see a lot of similarities, but this did not cause me to judge one thing to the other because they came from separate worlds.  From what I have heard Suzanne Collins claims that she was inspired by reality T.V and the coverage of war.  However, I have a hard time believing this because there is very little evidence to support this in the actual story itself.  Sure she has the Hunger Games televised and there is the talk of audiences , but they are all vague and never make complete sense.  If it was more of a Survivor type game where you got voted out based on your likebility which Katniss talks a lot about playing to the camera then I could understand and see that the Hunger Games was inspired by most reality T.V. But the Hunger Games children are going to kill each other so what person would bet on someone they like over someone that has more chances of winning? Also she never really deals with the effects of trauma and other issues that invaders and those being invaded might feel if indeed those two very broad ideas inspired these stories. 

I have no problem with someone getting inspiration from another writer.  I mean the very fact that Suzanne Collins and Koushun Takami are from different countries, cultures, upbringing and gender means that even with the same idea they would produce something different. And that would have been fascinating to see.  

What I really liked about Battle Royale over the Hunger Games book and movie among others was the treatment of the characters.  In Hunger Games, Katniss is just so special.  For over 70 years that these games have been taking place no one has ever volunteered.  So none of the kids that have died over the pass 70 years had any family, friends or anyone that cared about them and was willing to take their place even when they were as young as 12 years old.   Also the created star-cross lovers between Katniss and Peeta.  Real or not. For the camera or not. Has none of these children ever clung to each when they got chosen or two people that already cared about each other ever been chosen?  In the book and movie it is as if that has never ever happened.  Also how the other kids  (Careers? why name them that) are made out to be villains and evil when the Capital and all those that watch including the districts and do nothing are responsible.  All the kids during this Hunger Games were forced to enter them, of everyone Katniss chose to be there. I understand that it was to save her sister and that is one of the few things I liked but that was a choice made. She could have done nothing like apparently everyone has been doing for over 70 years. All the kids in the Hunger Games don't want to die, they had friends and family too, not just Katniss, Peeta and Rue.  You also only ever get Katniss's story and her view on things. Plus there is only one reaction that is portrayed and not judged by Katniss in the Hunger Games that is her own.

In Battle Royale they portrayed how this thing was horrible. Not just Hunger Games where it's horrible for Katniss and small little Rue. But it's horrible for everyone, because they are all kids.  Doesn't matter if some were richer or more popular then others.  They are being forced to kill or be killed and that is going to scar and harm everyone. There was no big evil "Careers" tribe or a Cato that had to be allowed to agonize in pain for the whole night being eaten by wolves instead of having Katniss make a hard decision and put him out of his misery.  There were some antagonists which makes sense and works.  In Battle Royale, I also liked the reactions that were shown in the classroom even before we get outside.   People are scared, nervous, in denial, enrage and on.  They go through a range of emotions.  Also unlike the Hunger Games, Battle Royale shows the range of reactions that most people would have.  Some cling tight to each other, others become paranoid, some don't want to believe and try to test the collars, other decide they don't want to kill, other just give up, other kill themselves, others team on, some go on alone and there are more examples.   Not the Katniss and Peeta special love that no one has ever seen in 70 years.  Because whether the event was being televised or not, there would be people who would cling to each other, some would fight, other would cry and some would most certainly try to run. 

Snow White: Mirror Mirror & Snow White and the Hunstman

Snow White

      I watched both Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman a while after they had come out. I was interested in both movies for many reasons.  I wanted to see how they would make the story more engaging, and the dealt with the themes and issues of the original story and how they made the characters more defined.  In both movies Snow White is portrayed as a good, pure hearted and kind person.  That being said I felt that Mirror Mirror's Snow White was given more different characteristics that made her a more defined character than the Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman.   Maybe it was how the director dealt with the scenes, or I may just have been more engaged by Mirror Mirror actress.  

    When the two movies had come out and I saw their trailers.  I was more intrigued by Snow White and the Huntsman because it seemed more greeter and realistic than the more fun and campy Mirror Mirror.  I think if Mirror Mirror had been more of a dark comedy or film noir, it might have been better and more people might have liked it.  

      Both Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman deal with Snow White and Seven Dwarves fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm and try to make it their own (at least I assume they wanted).   Snow White and the Huntsman said they would make their Snow White less a damsel in distress and their story would be more realistic as being set in a medieval kingdom. However, Snow White came off being a damsel in distress  then they suddenly try to make her in a warrior (many used the comparison of Jeanne d'Arc).  But it did not really work, it was just thrown in your face.  Through out the movie they force feed you this idea of Snow White being pure hearted, good, bringer of life, compassionate and caring. The characters keep telling you this over and over but there are not real actions to back it up.  Snow White seemed no different than any other female character we meet except that she is the King's daughter.   

       There is also this idea of that Snow White has this great inner beauty that allows her to kill the Queen.  While I believe that inner beauty is enormously important.  The story was Snow White did not really deal with that theme. Snow White dealt with themes of how beauty and youth are what are important for women and how because of this women are often pit against each other. This idea of there can only be one and how the importance of a woman is placed on her outer appearance.  Those ideas are still relevant today. 

      So when they seemed to always say that Snow White was being helped because she was good of heart and that it had nothing to do with her outside or the fact she was the King's daughter.  That would have been a great theme but they did nothing with it.   If they wanted to deal with the ideas of inner beauty being important why not write or create a new fairytale why try and change the Snow White story and not really deal with the ideas?

     In Snow White the iconic object is the mirror which reflects the outside appearance.  Inner beauty can be reflected outside, but you can not always tell a person character by looking at the outside.  In the fairy tale the fact that Snow White is nice is a plus and can be attributed to her youth.     

   I wanted to compare the two Snow Whites and how of the two movies, I felt that  Mirror Mirror's Snow White was more of a character to me than the other.  The 1st thing for me was when meet Snow in Mirror Mirror. She seems quiet unsatisfied at the window longing for more, to see the world more than being stuck where she was.  This is further added to when we see her hiding behind the pillar.  You get the feeling that she is never any part of anything.  She lives in the castle surrounded by people but hardly interacts with any.  We also see kind off the psychological shackles she has though she can move around.  You see her at this point internalize everything the things the Queen tells her.  Then for her birthday the baker lady gives her the King's dagger.  She also internalizes what the baker lady says. So, she has these two views of herself that are different. The 2nd thing from here is that Snow has a sense of curiosity, what is out there? How is the town and people? Snow not only has this curiosity she seeks it out.  Though no guards stop her, she is the one that makes the initiate to fulfill her curiosity.  In town she is devastate by the poverty she sees.  It's not what she remember or how her father had been ruling.

Snow returns from the Village sadden by what she saw

After coming back she is angry and frustrated and seeks to do something about it. So she crashes the ball, defying the Queen to get the help of the Prince someone who was not under the Queen. She defies the Queen knowing there will be punishment if she is caught, but does not give into the fear.  When she meets the dwarves, she asks them their names. This shows her interest in other people.  She makes them food and when she finds out that they stole the gold that came from the village.

Snow returns the gold to the Village

She gives it back knowing that the village needed it more than the dwarves and gives them credit for it.  This shows her concern for others.  As the movie progress Snow and the dwarves take care of each other. The scenes show her continue interest and bond with them as she learns from each what they are good at.

 There is a montage of her gaining physical strength, balancing on the ball, learning to use a sword, and quickening her reflects. She learns how to use her appearance to her advantage even when she gets a new costume to reflects her new self.  Then we see her put these skills to the test and gain experience when she fights the Prince.

Snow faces off with the Prince

She loses the sword fight because the Prince is more experienced but like the dwarves taught her finds another way to defeat her opponent.  Then she defeats the puppets that the Queen's mirror had send to kill her but attacked the dwarves.

Snow fights the Puppets

She is able to defeat them which shows her skills improving.  The next morning the dwarves find her letter, which expresses the guilt for the danger she put them in and they getting hurt.  The letter shows that she cherished them and did not want to to get hurt, especially because of her.

Snow faces the Forest Beast, breaking the spell over him.

 When the Queen sends the forest beast, again she feel responsible for the danger others were in because of her and locks them in to keep them safe. But her friends by their own choice want to protect her too.  She frees the beast, her father from the Queen's spell.   

Snow, dagger, apple and the Queen

At her weeding, the Queen, now old offers her an apple and this is where we see some of Snow's growth, she almost eats it because she still has some of her naivete and kindness, but stops when she hears what the Queen says.  The Snow from the beginning would have just eaten it, never thinking twice. But now is has more experiences, she offers a piece of the apple back to the Queen, who is defeated disappearing.  I liked this scene because it tied into the harsh deaths and punishment that villains got at the end of most fairy tale, even Snow White.  Although, Snow does not use her dagger to stab the Queen.  The death is harsh because of the psychological impact behind it.  The Queen realizes her utter defeat and is pretty much out witted into taking the very death she had prepared for Snow White with her own hands. 

    All these scenes in the movie although not done perfectly and were often subtle. They gave me a defined Snow White that was more her own character than what is in the fairy tale or Disney movie.  This movie did not go in depth with the themes and ideas of the tale or make it drastically new.  

Snow White and the Huntsman was the version of the fairy tale that I looked forward to more than Mirror Mirror.  Though it seemed yo play to more my preferences I felt that the Snow White character was not defined and was more of just a thing placed there to be pure goodness against the bad one.  In the movie you were being constantly told that Snow had a pure heart, was fair and had a defiant spirit but she never did anything that showed or convinced me that she was.  The only reason she was not killed or was the main character was because she was the King's daughter and at some random point became a chosen one.   The 1st we hear about Snow is the Huntsman narrating telling us that she had a defiant spirit and was compassionate and the movie tries to illustrate this by having her find a bird with a broken wing that she would nurse to health.  At this point her mother says that she had great beauty inside. For that was in no way an interesting or compelling illustration of her being defiant or compassionate.  Because in the scene Snow walks through a farming area and I though how many of those normal kids helped their parents every day and nursed many creatures to health but no one saw that as having great beauty.  Snow only was said to be especial and that act important because she was the King's daughter.  Then Ravenna kills the King and takes Snow.  10 years later Snow is a teenager and we see her saying the Lord's prayer.  I wondered, what was the point of having her say the Lord's prayer when it never applies to anything. At this point they say that because of Ravenna's rule nature had turned on itself and there was no hope. I wondered what did they really mean?  And if nature had really turned against itself and all was dead, how was anyone still alive anywhere near her.  Then Snow finds a nail at the window when two birds land near there.  I mean Snow had not just become that tall last night how come she is just finding the nail now? Has she never thought or tried to escape. She had stone, flint, and wood on the bed but has never tried to make a weapon? Then the girl Gerta informs Snow that the Duke is still fighting and asks what will happen to her but Snow says nothing.  This seemed a little uncaring to me because you would want to know as much about the situation you were in.  Then with the nail Snow scratches the face of the Queen's brother and is able to escape.  Why just scratch why not stab him in the eye? It's seems more realistic that a stab would hurt and buy her more time then a scratch.  Then she out dashes trained soldiers, slides into a sewage, makes her way out to a cliff and jumps down a jagged edge, 40 feet into crashing waves with rocks. Then she swims to the shore.  Had Snow been training in jail? When did she learn to swim? Even she some how knew how to swim, how did she survive that perilous distance to the shore? At the shore unhurt she finds a white horse just waiting for her.  

White horse, just sun bathing waiting for Snow to ride him to his death

Then rides it to the dark forest, where the horse dies in quicksand.  Where did the horse come from? When did she learn to ride? (The only reason that I came up with as to why the birds helped show Snow out. And it was probably them that had the horse waiting was because the bird she heal as a child was their leader or something. Do or say something along that line.But then it have died within a short time especially since Ravenna's rule did such bad things to nature. Then are such birds or animals in debts to help Snow and die? Why? She nursed one birds. And there seemed to be characters that her regular but had done more meaningful things. Or have that the wish Snow's mother makes and gives some blood would bestow something on Snow especially since she dies when Snow is like 8) Then she steps on mushrooms hallucinates falls and sleep on the forest floor all night (I assume).  There is really no sense of time because she wakes unharmed in this suppose most dangerous forest and the Huntsman finds her in no time.  The Huntsman does not hand her over because the Queen's brother tells him that his sister can not bring back the dead.  I blame the creators for the most part but why would the Huntsman just believe the Queen despite her reputation? Ravenna could have done a trick to demonstrate that she could bring someone back. Also why would the brother tell him that his sister could not deliver before he got the girl?  The Snow pleads with the Huntsman not to leave her in the forest promising him money.  If she was not beautiful, why would he believe an escape convict, who has no proof or guarantee. She doesn't give him her name, why would you after just being betrayed just believe her?   Then we see that the Huntsman is hurt badly on the chest and is bleeding. But Snow just stands there, she doesn't ask about this wound or try to do anything.  I know she is no doctor but why would that stop you from expressing your concern for the well being of the person keeping you safe and leading you out of the forest.  I mean most not everyone is a doctor but we ask after our friends, family even strangers when they are hurt.  Then the Huntsman teaches her a move to protect herself, but she says she would never stab anyone. Why? Not even the people who killed your family, are killing others and have imprisoned you for 10 years? What if the people hunting them ambushed the Huntsman? she would just give up then. They come across a troll, the Huntsman fight then tells her to run, but she just screams and the troll leaves.  The only reason I could believe was for the story's stake, because she was the King's daughter and beautiful. If it was anyone else the troll would have eaten them. Why would the troll is inside people's soul but only want to kill others and the Huntsman who are also good. And so far most of thee creatures that had Snow White died.  

Village woman patching the Huntsman up

Leaving the forest they see these women who take them in.  The head woman binds the Huntsman's wounds, then asks him "you don't know who she is?" How would she know who Snow was? Did Snow tell her? They just meet this woman, sure she helped them but Snow has been with the Huntsman for the longest and he has kept his promise keeping her safe and leading her out the forest.  But she trusts a woman she met moments before? Then the woman tries to guilt him into staying just because she is a Princess.  It seems no matter what Snow has done or not done everyone should give her their lives.  

Playing with a child and doll. Does not give you greater inner beauty than most regular people (wasted time)

The village is attacked and women died.  The Huntsman rescues Snow, as they leave Snow says we should help them.  This did not come off to me as really caring.  1. Snow did nothing but help the little girl run. 2. What could the Huntsman do against a whole group by himself.  Then she says something about it being her fault. This scene did not touch or convince me of anything as suppose to the in Mirror Mirror where I felt the guilt Snow felt (Maybe it was the way they constructed it).  Then Snow says "you left us". Was that suppose to be indignant and guilt the Huntsman? For what purpose.  He had no reason to stay and he couldn't really have done much except to rescue you, which he did.  So that line just didn't work with what had happened so far except to hammer it in that Snow has such a beautiful heart. 

   They get captured by the dwarves and here no one does or say anything that indicated that there was something different about their captured. Except one seemed to be familiar with the Huntsman.  It is only when Snow tells them that she is the daughter of the King that things change.  Suddenly, the blind dwarve can see her inner light and beauty.  So, if she had not said anything about being a Princess the Blind Dwarve would have not saved them.  Again here snow forest complete stranger with what she had been keeping from the one she knew longest (some might say the situation called for it but it still took me out). They go to his forest sanctuary and at the fire, drinking all the dwarves start talking about how they feel better. One says it's the booze, no. Does your gout feel better? It has to be Snow.  Here I wondered if Snow has such power why has she never used it.  Snow has been traveling with the hurt Huntsman a while, it took a normal woman to attend to him, but Snow can cure gout? Then there is a stag scene that looked to be a complete rip off of Mononoke Hime, that I got upset. It's only purpose seemed to be to show that Snow was this pure and beautiful messiah.  Where did this all come from? No one ever said anything about a messiah before in this story. We have already been preached through about what a special beauty Snow is, now you add the chosen one?  They get attacked again and the dwarve Gus (I think) gets an arrow in the back and dies.  Where was Snow's magical healing power? While Gus is dying all Snow does is whisper "breath".  I don't know about others but usually when one is in a lot of pain, they are spoken to in a loud and clear voice so that they can hear you over the pain that is consuming them.  Especially E.R doctors, you don't see them whispering away to an injured patient.  

    After a useless travel scene, Snow walks away from the camp and William joins her.  William (Ravenna in disguise) tells her that the people hate the Queen but love her and she should lead. Snow says it takes more than a name to lead. But in this movie it shows that it is exactly what you need.  All but the Huntsman a little bit have followed and protected Snow without question because she is a princess.  When the Huntsman had posed a question the blind dwarve call him blind. 

Snow kisses William

Then Snow kisses William.  With this scene the movie showed Snow's romantic choice.  Unless she is going to be one of those who feel it's okay to string two people along, that popular culture has been promoting as love lately.  By this kiss Snow is showing who she is romantically interested in and wants to be with. 

Apple from movie (different from trailer)

Apple Scene from Trailer

  Snow eats the apple falls dead and William's kiss does not wake her. 

William kisses the dead Snow

   

At the Duke's fort a drunk Huntsman says Snow has a defiant spirit like his dead wife. Where? I have yet to see that spirit everyone is talking about.  His kiss wakes her. Snow walks out sees William and standing in front of a group and just start giving a speech. I have so many questions here but let's move on.  Her speech made no sense to me, I had no context has to why anything she said she have been empowering. She mentions iron. fire and light that burns inside. Unless I saw a different movie no one at any time used those things for anything or even mentioned them at any point. 

Snow fresh from her sleep. "Ride and die for me because.......................beautiful princess"

There was no specific prayer or legend created in this tale that pertained to something that people would use encourage themselves, call up strength and hope or as their rallying call. Maybe if Snow White had used aspects of the Lord's prayer that she said in the beginning then it might make sense because I assume she prayed to give herself strength and comfort.  She could have used that to give these people strength and comfort.  Then Snow says about the Queen "I know what she sees, I know what she knows, I can kill her".  What does the Queen see? What exactly does she know? and why would that give you the ability to kill her? Magic? Military tactics? conquest? We never get any answers.  Just be her brother and die for her.

   Then for a reason we are never told they have to ride off that same day. No preparations, no strategy?  Then they are riding off during this whole time she never asks after her companions. I know she saw William but what about the others? What if they had been killed? It would have taken one line to address it. Then the Huntsman rides by her, and pays her a complement and she just looks at him. No reaction. The a group of like 40 of them are just standing at the closed gate. Why would you try to storm a castle without big weapons or archers to protect themselves and get the gate open. How were they not slaughtered by the guards standing on the walls. No worries, Snow knows another way in. Suddenly we have a shot of the dwarves in the sewage climbing into the courtyard.  How did this happen?  They made quite a deal about Snow's dangerous escape from the castle. She runs across the courtyard, down a long sliding drop into the sewage with water up pass her waist, goes a distance, comes out the open of a cliff with strong winds that dropped at least 40 feet into jagged rocks and crashing waves then she had to swim a distance to make it to the shore. If nothing else, how did the dwarves climb 40 feet straight up with no problem? The gate opens and Snow goes in fighting.  This is the Snow that was taught one knife move. She never practiced or used it. However now she is holding a sword, fighting veteran soldiers.  At least Mirror Mirror had a training montage, and Snow fought twice before she faced the forest beast. Give us a montage or have someone discuss how much she had been training and now is ready for a battle.  I know some liked this because it made up for her running for 2/3 the movie, but she wakes from being asleep/dead to a full warrior? This as to be a record. Some have even compared this Snow to Jeanne d'Arc, but please don't. Just putting a young woman in armor and placing her in front of some soldier does not make her like Jeanne d'Arc. Jeanne d'Arc had to fight mentally, physically and spiritually and had to constantly prove herself because most people wouldn't just take a random person's words at face value and in most cases you shouldn't. In the end Jeanne d'Arc was killed.  So I see no parallel between this Snow and Jeanne d'Arc. 

Snow stabs the Queen in the stomach

Then Snow goes to fight the Queen. She is being thrown around when suddenly she stabs her in the abdomen.  Now the only thing I could use to convince myself as to why Snow stood a slight chance of winning was by the spell Ravenna's Gypsy mother place on her. "by fairest blood it done and only by fairest blood can it but undone".  In a flash back her mother puts her blood into milk (I think) for Ravenna to consume. Since we are not told was fairest is defined since the mother was only, but apparently Snow is fair. So Ravenna had to consume some of Snow's blood to die.  But this does not happen. she just stabs her. If Snow had but her blood on the dagger then yes or if Ravenna had taken Snow's heart and consumed some of her blood then yes. But it did not happen. So what was the point. As Ravenna dies Snow sheds a tear. Why? You have been told so many times you have a beautiful heart, fine. But this woman has made your life bad. I am not saying to be happy at her death but why cry? 

Snow White Crowned Queen

      Then Snow gets crown. I thought Snow a liar.  She was telling William that it takes more than a name to lead.  But that is all it took for her to lead the army and now the country.  I am sure she would have a helper, but that completely contradicts what she said. A top of that Snow is most likely illiterate. The Snow in Mirror Mirror in the end just got married. Her father was still alive and if she ever ruled he would there to teach her how.   Having a defiant spirit and a beautiful heart does not conclude that you will be a good ruler. 

  Some have said that in the end of Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow is looking at the Huntsman longingly.  I did not get that feeling or see that, if so why? Why kiss William in the forest? Kiss him on cheek or something, if you wanted to show your affection for him but not love.  But kissing him on the lips indicates romantic feelings for him and showing him that.  

     This bring me briefly to the kiss that wakes Snow.  We are not given much about the workings of the world in this fairy tale so a lot is kind of left to assumption.  So, it is usually said that True Love's kiss wakes the person, although not in the original Snow White and Dwarves I read. But if that is the case then whose love? If it is Snow's who ate the apple then William kiss should have woken her.  Because she kisses William showing that she has feelings of love for him.  But then if it's the person that loves the enchanted person's then again William's kiss should have worked because he loves Snow.  Now if it has to be that both parties have to be in love with each other.  Then why have Snow kiss William at all? To throw the audience off and make it different? Does not really work.  

       Though Snow White and the Huntsman was more to my preferences it was not a good movie and was really disappointed. Although I will say that the cinematography was beautiful and some great images. None of it made sense, went together or served a purpose. The movie felt long and there was just too many big holes.  Just too much about the movie and performances took me out and had me asking so many questions none of which ever got answered. 

Snow White facing the Troll (not in the movie)

Armored Snow White over looking the castle (not in the movie)

      Another thing is to me trailer have been parts of the movie used to create something that will peek your interest into seeing the whole movie. The trailer of Snow White and the Huntsman I saw looked interesting. Especially Snow facing the troll, the apple scene and Ravenna's monologue about battle. I wanted to see these, but they were absent in the movie.  Ravenna didn't have that monologue, Snow never faces the troll on level ground and the apple scene is different in the movie then the one we get in the trailer.  In the movie, the apple turns kind of spiky but in the trailer is it melts almost like wax. Why preview something that is never going to be there? 

Bellow are more shoots particularly from the apple scene in the trailer that never appears in the movie or are different 

      So for me between these 2 Snow White movie adaptations the Snow in Mirror Mirror came off being a more defined character and I could follow and go along with. Snow White and the Huntsman just frustrated and disappointed me, though I wanted to like it and saw such potential. Of movies adapted from fairy tales where I though the character was defined and became more their own person are Lilli in Snow White: A Tale of Terror and Danielle in Ever After: A Cinderella Story.  I think both this movies are good and the titled fairy tale characters are better defined. 

Painted Skin (Hua Pi) - Thoughts & Questions

Painted Skin and Painted Skin II

If one single story

 Here I will try to discuss both movies as they fit into one large story.  How they are many unanswered questions and why certain things may have happened.

               First I will like to talk about Xiaowei's imprisonment.  In the beggining of Painted Skin: Resurrection the narrator tells us that Xiaowei was imprisonment for breaking demon law by saving the life of a human male.  This set's up the idea that someone forced Xiaowei to be where we see her in the frozen abyss inside the mountain, punishing her for a kind act. However, no where in Painted Skin or Resurrection are we told or shown that there are set of specific laws that demon have to abide by.  Xia Bing even says that there are good and bad demons. So in a way, a demon that kill and eat human and thoes that do not (assumption).   Also Xiaowei tells Jing'er that she loved a man, who loved her back but then did not leave his wife.  Xiaowei saves their lives but was punished for it.  Again we are told that an outside force or body placed a punishment on Xiaowei for just doing this act.  This also tells us that these humans (man and his wife) took advantage of an innocent Xiaowei.  Also that Xiaowei's kind act was completely selfless.  Since, we get no outside narrative or flashback all we have is what Xiaowei tells us. And since, it's been 500 years none of the people (humans atleast, and lizard demon who is gone) are there to backup or refute her view of things.

Xiaowei in Ice Prison being freed with Qu'er's help

            If you saw Painted Skin however, you know that Xiaowei is the one that gave the poison to Peirong and most of the situation was instigated by her scheme to get hearts and to steal Sheng Wang and become Mrs. Wang. Peirong treated Xiaowei well and welcomed her and when Xiaowei confesses her love for Sheng.  Peirong was willing for Xiaowei to be with Sheng, if he wanted it.  Even when Sheng refused, Peirong saw that he was attracted to Xiaowei and took it on to herself to go tell Xiaowei that she should be Sheng's concubine.  Peirong even took on all the blame for the deaths and be hated by everyone even Sheng that she loved most. Saying that if Xiaowei would stop killing, would not hurt Sheng and stay to make him happy.In fact no demon law or rules is ever mentioned not by humans or the demons we see the films.
     

Xiaowei flying away from the mountain

                At the end of Painted Skin Xiaowei is not punished by any outside force because she broke demon law by doing a kind act or for using magic to save a human. Xiaowei disappears when she uses her pearl to save all the people that died because of her. And from what I saw she did not want to save them all.  She just wanted to save Sheng but the energy from pearls (including Xiaoyi's) envoloped a large area. If Xiaowei had used just her pearl like she landed, she would have probably just saved Sheng (maybe some others) but not Peirong, who in a way died twice (Deadliest poison & stab wound).  This one kind act was not complete repairation or atonment for all the bad and killings she did.  So her ice prison seemed to me more like some karmic payback for all she had done.  Also the first time we see the frost is when Sheng stabs Xiaowei when Peirong died. Xiaowei seems quite hurt that Sheng was still thinking of Peirong even though he thought she was a demon, she screams, her skin turns quite and cool vapor escapes her lips.  So, her we see that no one did this but Xiaowei herself.

Xiaowei

Xiaowei's true form (without painted skin)

                  Another times when we see the ice prison is when Xiaowei is playing her pipa (chinese lute) to seduce the masked Jing'er. the frost appears from a drop of water on a leaf and starts to crawl towards Xiaowei. No one created it and sent it after her, no one is really judging Xiaowei for the things she does.  To me the frost seemed to be created by Xiaowei herself.  On normal general circumstances a person has a conscience which makes them feel guilt, shame and pain (among others). When they hurt someone this consciene makes them feel remorse and even stop them from doing it and have them atone for the wrong they have done.  To me his frost/ice prison seemed to be a manifestation of a conscience for a demon. And in this case since Xiaowei could live almost forever. It does not seem far fetched that she would be reprrimanded for hundreds of years for hundred of years of bad deeds.  I am saying this because I feeled in some the demon mythology based on one that says that a creature having cultivated itself and for some acts can gain powers and in the cause of an animal can gain human intelligence and take human for thus a demon. If that demon (supernatural creature) continues to cultivates itself it gains more power and sometimes can become human. A human who has many cultivations can sometimes become divine ( a diety) or the order can change. With what Xiaoyi (Lizard demon) says in Painted Skin, we know that Xiaowei has a 1,000 years cultivated pearl that holds a lot of magic.  So Xiaowei can be atleast a 1,000 years old or have lived hundred of enough years to have gained that much power.  And for that time atleast she has been killing and consuming human hearts when Xiaoyi was not doing it for her.   So the narration in the beginning and Xiaowei's own words do not fit and depict her has a complete victim of others. While some parts of Resurrection and Painted Skin shows us that this is not true.

Demon Hunter (amatuer, never heard his name)

Qu'er (Sparrow Demon)

              A second thing that I wanted information on that I feel the movies lacked was what exactly was the demon mythology in this universe. Specially regarding the ice prison.  We are never shown any figure that is shown to be a figure of authority in the demon world that would have been responsible for punishing Xiaowei  by placing her in the ice. This brings me to the question of what exactly is demon nature suppose to be? Xiaowei is said to be punish because she saved a human life, implying that being kind was not part of being a demon.  Also Xiaowei tells Qu'er that she did not really experince pain after the demon hunter's blood touched her and thus could not love. She also lists other things:, can not see the color of the sky, can not smell flowers, cannot have someone die for you. These things are only reserved for humans.  But this is shown not to be true.  If it was how is it that Xiaowei and Qu'er can interact with the world around her if they can smell or see? Specially for Xiaowei who has painted for herself a figure and face that is considered most beautiful in the world. Also she mentions that her scent is resistable and we see this effect on Hou Xin.  So how is Xiaowei able to create the skin she wears that is attractive to human senses. Not only humans but demons too. In the beginning Qu'er is attracted to Xiaowei because of her beautiful face. We see that in both movies Xiaowe is not alone. She has Xiaoyi, who loves her and then Qu'er, who also cares for her.  Both demons spend time finding and getting hearts for Xiaowei and they both die in the end trying to protect her. How is that not them willing to die for her? They both do. Also it's not gurranteed that everyone human has someone who cares enough to die for them, in cases there aren't.

Jing'er & Xiaowei change skins

         A third thing I wanted to know more was the juxaposition between the life of a demon and human. When Xiaowei is depicting her life has being pityful. Jing'er, who is a princess her life too is not all great.  Jinger says something along the lines that a creaute whether demon or human is not guaranteed a good life.
So, I wanted more of what it meant to be a demon as suppose to a human illustrated because some of the things Xiaowei mentions is not supported by the movies themselves.

Despite Scars Zhao Wei looks beautiful. Zhou Xun too.

           Fourth, something that struck me from beginning to end especially in Resurrection was Xiaowei's desire to be human.  In Painted Skin she never shows any desire to be human it's only when Peirong asks her to stop killing and thus giving her Sheng that she says she would stop eating human hearts and let herself grow old. It was just a bargain she had to make in order to win.  And this comes out to play in Resurrection because although she says she wants humanity, when she is free she goes back to eating human hearts.  Although one can say she does not kill the people herself (particularly in Resurrection where she is never actually shown taking a heart) she knows who does and they do it for her and she profits from it.  Xiaowei also doesn't stop scheming and manipulating. She schemed, which is how Jing'er saved her.  When she arrives at the White City and sees that Jing'er she immediately makes sure that she can used the situation to her advantage by putting a spell ong Hou Xin, so that whether Jing'er face was an issue or not Jinger would need her body to be with Hou Xin. Also in saving Jing'er, she wanted to have the heart.  In Resurrection although she lists the benefit of being human to Qu'er (smelling flowers etc...) to me that was not really why she wanted to be human.  The main reason was to escape the ice prison.  A human does not normally get followed around by an ice prison.  The ice prison seemed to be a manisfestation of Xiaowei's conscience reprimanding her for the schemes, killings, manipulation and selfish acts she comminted and continued to commit even after Qu'er helped free her.
             

Jing'er gives Xiaowei her heart

          Fifth, another thing I wanted to know that the Painted Skin: Resurrection did not address was Jing'er's strong heart, which seemed to be the heart that everyone needed.  Xiaowei does not let Qu'er kill her when they find out she is a woman because Xiaowei felt such strong heat energy from her and she was able to drive away the frost.  Also the shaman for the Wolf Tribe seemed to know that Jing'er's was the heart that they needed to bring back their prince that died because of Xiaowei in the beginning.  Jing'er seemed to be of strong character, but besides that and her being a princess.  Why was her heart so specially.  We know she had 13 other sisters, if it was the need for royal blood.  And of all the woman the Wolf Tribe could have gotten easier excess too. why Jing'er? I mean she refused the marriage and was in love with someone else.  It would have been good to have given the audience something about why Jing'er had a heart that fit all the supernatuaral needs besides leaving it to the Princess/Royal blood default.  Because the shaman could had gotten one of the other 13 princess far easier then Jing'er (it seems).

A blind Hou Xin cuts off the Shaman's frozen arm.

              Other things that I thought took away from the movie was the long length of some scene and shortness of others. For example, Jing'er's fall.  We know she was resigned to die, we saw it on her face.  There was no need to draw out the fall because it took away from the impact of it.  When it slowed, I knew immediately she would not die.  But if it happened face and Xiaowei saved her revealing herself, it would have had more impact.  The scene that needed the time was Hou Xin's coming to his senses.  It happens quite fast, while if the scene had been given more time we would see the pain and agony of the realization when things become clearer to him of how much of an idiot he was sometimes.    Now this leads to a scene that some reviews thought was a bit dramatic (I too when I first heard it).  But I see why the scene was done. When Hou Xin cuts his eyes , you might be like (What the hell?). But then like we know and he says he was under Xiaowei's spell (shadow foxes that enter his eyes). So whenever he saw Xiaowei's skin he wanted to be intimate with the body (whether it was really Jing'er or Xiaowei) especially when he caught her scent. Which happens.  So, besides the demon hunter finding a way to remove the shadows the only way they left was when he destroyed his sight.  Only then was his senses back under his control.

Hou Xin

                Hou Xin felt short of the two main women and I thought if his character had been worked on more it would have improved the movie. I wanted to more of what was going on inside him.  We know he felt a lot of guilt and responsibility for having let Jing'er get hurt (physically and emotional). So whenever he saw the golden mask it was just proof that he was a failure, could not protect Jing'er really and shouldn't even try.  We see Hou Xin's desire to be with someone especially Jing'er but this gets twisted and turned.
          One thing that came across strongly to me while watching both movies was how they wanted us to over look and just feel sorry for Xiaowei especially in Resurrection, to disregarding her painted skin, schemes and seduction.   To me it kind of clear that people, especially men where not attracted to Xiaowei by accident. This seems to be more apperant in Resurrection than in Painted Skin.  Xiaowei's figure and look are not by accident, she created it knowing it would be most attractive to men.  Also the situations she finds herself in for the most part is all planned and setup.  This is especially evident in Resurrection when Jing'er saves her and the men Jing'er fought were created by Xiaowei.  We learn this at the camp fire when she is speaking with Qu'er.  The situation was a set up.  We see this also in Painted Skin, which is not so evident but not only does Sheng dream about Xaoiwei. She also is always there for her to be the first person he sees after he wakes and it is also alluded that Xiaowei may also be resposible for creating or instigating the love making dream Sheng has at the end. Because when he wakes he sees a shadow and when he tries to find the source of it. It leads him to Xiaowei's door, there is the sound of crying which makes him move closer then she opens the door making sure he sees her.

A Frozen Xiaowei

          That being said I did feel sorry for Xiaowei and understand her pain, when she felt she should be loved and chosen by Sheng over Peirong a mere human.  I also liked Peirong and felt that she had to face some challenges like in the Painted Skin I felt Peirong was more interesting and went through a wider range of emotions. In Resurrection Xiaowei was good but I felt she was playing the victim to much. making me wonder if she had forgotten whe happened in Painted Skin, but then she was tell Jing'er the story so she remember.  Both Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei were good in there characters in both movies.  In Resurrection when the women switch I could immediately relate, understand and see that Zhao Wei was Xiaowei and she was more believable in making see that she wanted to be human not just to escape from the frost prison but for the things she told Qu'er. Especially when she get Jing'er heart and body wakes feeling the sun on her skin and the smelling the flower. I didn't completely believe Zhou Xun as Xiaowei when she had said she wanted to be human not just to escape the frost, though at other times she was good.  I also like Jing'er better and understood her when Zhao Wei played her as suppose to Zhou Xun. I was not complete drawn in when Zhou Xun was Jing'er. Zhao Wei seemed to convey more emotion even though she has the mask covering some of her face. So I am not sure if I just liked one person's style better or what?

Zhao Wei & Chen Kun (Did not see this scene in the film)