Split of the Spirit
Director: Fred Tan Hong-cheung
Year: 1987
Rating: 6.0
This 1987 Taiwanese
supernatural thriller doesn’t appear to have much of a budget for special
effects – but what it does utilize in this fashion is nicely done. It also
makes wonderful use of another more human effect – the dramatic and compelling
face of Pauline Wong. With a face that is far from being classically beautiful
with its odd thin hard angularity and long prominent nose, it continues to
fascinate me more upon each viewing. Cinematographers seem to take a great
pleasure in capturing her expressions and this angularity in various shades
of light and from different perspectives. It’s a face that would be perfect
in black and white photography or as abstract art – Man Ray would have loved
her, Picasso would have been inspired by her. She is also a terrific dramatic
actress when given the opportunity – check her out in Her Vengeance if you
need proof. Here she is fine too, though the role doesn’t call for the depths
that she has to reach for in Her Vengeance.
A mistress (Chui Suk Woon, I believe) is desperately trying to hold on to
the love of a fellow though it should be clear that he now wishes to be free
of her. He takes her on a trip to Taiwan where he promises to show her a house
he has built for her. Instead, he takes her out into the country and arranges
for an evil magician and his assistant to kill her, but one of the spell
tools is broken and her spirit escapes even if her mortal body does not.
Her spirit is not pleased. But she needs a vessel to carry out her plan of
revenge. This is where Pauline enters the story.
A famous dance choreographer, she comes to Taiwan to put on a show and accidentally
breaks the jar of ashes that the woman’s remains are being kept in and gets
the ashes on her hands. This connection is all the spirit needs and begins
possessing Pauline at will and brutally killing the men responsible for her
death. There is one lovely touch in here as the maid to the black magician
comes into his room with tea – sees him silently sitting at his desk – and
pokes him only to have his head fall off and a geyser of blood erupts from
the now naked neck. A photographer realizes what has happened to Pauline and
goes for advice to a friend involved with spiritualism – Cynthia Khan. This
was a very early role for Cynthia – still based in Taiwan and a year before
she was to make her breakout film with In the Line of Duty III. It is also
a fairly small role in which she doesn’t get to do a lot but look wide eyed
but adorable beneath her large glasses. Initially, the spirit only wants
to use Pauline as a temporary instrument of death – but then realizes that
she would like some company in the next world – and the hero has to travel
to the other world to attempt to save her.
This isn’t a bad little film – but a bit too slowly paced much of the time
to keep you rapt in attention. There are some nice moments though – usually
revolving around the much-deserved violent demise of the bad guys. It gets
a bit silly towards the end – but is saved by the seriousness of the characters.
As a note – the film is distributed on VCD
by two companies. One is Ocean Shores and the other is Media Asia. Unfortunately,
the transfer is much better on the Media Asia version, but English subs
only appear on the Ocean Shores version that has a fairly anemic transfer.
