Painted Skin
The classic Chinese story collection Strange Tales of Liaozhai receives its most opulent adaptation yet with Painted Skin. A remake of King Hu’s 1993 film of the same title, this Gordon Chan-directed release mixes old-style Hong Kong Cinema panache with new generation stars and visual effects, resulting in an unexpected and wildly entertaining mixture of action, drama and tragic romance. Top Chinese actresses Zhou Xun and Vicki Zhao face off as two women who love the same man, a soldier played by the handsome Aloys Chen. Donnie Yen lends the film a solid martial arts presence, while Betty Sun (Fearless) and Singapore actor Qi Yu Wu (881) fill out the supporting roles. A box office hit in both China and Hong Kong, Painted Skin is Hong Kong’s official entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2009 Academy Awards.
Zhou Xun stars as Xiaowei, a beautiful maiden rescued from the clutches of bandits by honorable soldier Wang Sheng (Aloys Chen). Alone and without family, Xiaowei is taken into Wang Sheng’s home, where she becomes popular with Wang Sheng’s fellow soldiers, and friends with his lovely wife Peirong (Vicki Zhao). Unknown to all, Xiaowei is actually a fox spirit that was able to assume the human form. A romantic tension exists between the three, and though Wang Sheng is faithful to Peirong, he can’t help but be attracted to the alluring Xiaowei. The situation is further complicated when Peirong’s old flame, martial arts expert Yong (Donnie Yen) appears with a demon hunter played by Betty Sun tagging along.
A demonic killer (Qi Yu Wu) appears and steals human hearts for Xiaowei. While Wang Sheng and his men hunt down the killer, Peirong tells Yong that she believes that the killer is not working alone. She suspects that the killer is delivering the hearts to a demon who consumes them to stay immortal, and that the demon is hiding within their midst in the skin of the beautiful Xiaowei. They deviced traditional tests for spirits in human forms but Xiaowei is too highly evolved and these tests failed to uncover her. Wang Shen is left unconvinced of their accusations.
This movie is better than I had expected as after watching the movie trailer I had gotten the impression that it’s just another Ring 2 horror movie. I’m glad I was proven wrong and I really enjoyed this show. Donnie is not the usual superman here and he’s but a mortal afterall; feeling love as well as honour, and finally death too.
Some have criticised this movie for the ending but I felt it is in line with the understanding that these demonic forms are in some ways already immortal through thousands of years of practice and cultivation; and not so easily destroyed.
Yong the warrior.
Wang Shen rescues Xiaowei from a bandit camp.
The fox spirit reveals her true form.
End Fight
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Tagged with: Aloys Chen • Array • Best Foreign Language Film • Chinese Story • Demon Hunter • Donnie Yen • Fellow Soldiers • Film Category • Hong Kong Cinema • Human Hearts • King Hu • Martial Arts Expert • Old Flame • Painted Skin • Qi Yu Wu • Romantic Tension • Strange Tales Of Liaozhai • Traditional Tests • Tragic Romance • Vicki Zhao • Wang Sheng • Zhou Xun
Filed under: China Movies
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