Dragon Chronicles - Semi-Gods
&Semi-Devils
Director: Andy Chin Wing-keung
Year: 1994
Rating: 7.5
Hold on a second
– my head is still spinning like a top. Sensory overload. Brigitte Lin in
all her emotional glory and sensual beauty. Gong Li like Venus ascending
to earth. Cheung Man’s ravishing angular beauty. Having all this in one film,
sometimes in one frame is almost more than a mortal man can handle. Images
of Brigitte throwing her head back and madly laughing, then lovingly gazing,
Gong Li raising an eyebrow to show her utter contempt, Cheung Man by turn
purring and snarling – all play through my mind like a kaleidoscope of light
and vision.
If Dali had been a HK director, he would have made a film like this – it
is simply a visually overwhelming film. Sumptuous and ornate – full of sound
and fury – the film is a movable feast of astonishing beauty, incredible and
surreal sets, exploding bodies, flying people, stunning costumes, mystical
stances and larger than life characters. But as Shakespeare’s saying goes
regarding sound and fury – it ultimately signifies nothing. What was this
film about? The director throws the viewer into a maelstrom of moving pieces
and characters and expects them to stay afloat. But it is all you can
do to keep up with the steady stream of gorgeous images flashing by – and
trying to understand the film on the first go through is a losing effort.
Perhaps if one were fluent with the language (instead of depending on the
sub-titles) or were familiar with the source of the film (a Jin Yong novel)
this would not have been so difficult but as it was I spent much of the film
going “huh?”, “what?”, “why?”. Apparently though I wasn’t the only one confused
as the film did dismal box office business (57th for the year) and was considered
quite a flop.
On a second viewing though it became somewhat clearer – though some things
still puzzle me. Under any circumstances though, the script is an inarticulate
and confusing mess and the story itself is not all that interesting or different
from so many of the kung fu flying films – but strictly on a visual and sensory
basis – this is an incredible accomplishment. How a HK film can look so good
on a budget that is so small in comparison to a Hollywood production is a
great mystery to me.
In a nutshell and as best as I could understand it, here are the basic plot
threads of this film. At one time Mo Han-wen (Gong Li), Chiu-shui (Brigitte
Lin) and Li Chong-hoi (Chiu-shui’s twin sister played of course by Brigitte
as well) all were disciples of Siu Yiu Tze in the Tin San sect and were also
close friends. For reasons not entirely clear to me – but something to do
with both Mo Han-wen and the Master Siu Yiu Tze being enamored with Li Chong-hoi
– Chiu-shui and Mo Han-wen break away and set up their own sects. The
two of them become deadly enemies and are constantly conspiring against one
another. They are both near Gods – semi-gods – I suppose - in their powers
and attitudes. In fact much of the film plays out like the old stories of
the Greek gods constantly fighting among themselves. Don’t expect intricate
and complex characterizations – these are Gods and must be viewed as such.
Who better of course than Brigitte Lin and Gong Li to play them!
Ting Chun-chou (Norman Chu) is even a lesser god also originally from the
Tin San sect, but he too has formed his own power base and is gobbling up
other sects in a power play of death and slaughter. One of his disciples is
Purple (Cheung Man), but she too harbors ambitions of her own and is conspiring
with and against everyone. Throw onto this shamble an innocent monk who it
has been foretold will gain great powers from the Master. None of this is
spelled out – one has to grasp it in quick flashbacks or expressions. Its
much too confusing and with a few moments of exception the film has little
heart as it is difficult to sympathize or root for any of these characters.
But for all intents and purposes pay little heed to the plot – instead focus
on these three woman and the way that the camera just revels in them – in
every gesture and in every expression. In a perverse way this film is a love
letter to female beauty, strength and comradeship. Brigitte dominates the
screen with an array of scowls, glares, smiles, laughs and dramatic movements.
Gong Li simmers and shimmers – more subdued than Brigitte – but her beauty
radiates. Cheung Man has perhaps the most interesting character of the three
– not yet godlike and bored perhaps with living too long – but is still frisky,
alive and enchanting. So drink in these images, this beauty – watch while
the good Brigitte gives Gong Li a look of such passion, of such love that
we can only dream of.
For the artistry, the images and the women I would think this film is a
worthy visit if this is your sort of film – but be prepared to go “huh?”
from time to time.
My rating for this film: 10 for the visuals, 5
for the story – averaging to a 7.5