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From time to time I like to dabble in a pool of older genre films. I don't find many masterpieces there, but some films are pretty entertaining. And once in a while, something really neat pops up. Green Snake is one of those films, ranking among the top films the early 90s Hong Kong period has to offer.

Green Snake is a strange blend of genres, but not at all uncommon for those type of films. If you want to compare it to anything (that is remotely known) I guess A Chinese Ghost Story comes closest.

The film's main focus are two demon snakes that have traveled to the human world to live a better life. They act as dames and try to find a husband, as they can secure their lives in the human world by getting a human child. This might sound a bit silly, but in essence it differs little from many Roman or Greek legends we know (and accept them for what they are).

Of course, no HK film from that period is complete with at least some flashes of martial arts thrown in. So a traveling monk and Buddha priest are added to make the lives of our snakes a bit harder. Both are trained in the more magical areas of the martial arts field, resulting in many magical spells and little hand to hand combat.

What sets this film apart from his peers is the visual brilliance. It won't be to everyone's liking, but the abundant use of color is simply superb. Every shot in the film looks lush, be it through it's impressive, colorful set design or through the many filters that are used. The editing gives you little time to absorb all this beauty, but every new shot is impressive enough not to care.

Also typical for these type of films is the type of editing used. Because the means and budgets were not high enough to create the effects required in a believable way, many magical scenes are often shot up close and edited in such a way that the viewer will fill in the blanks. It can become a bit confusing this way, but all in all it's a splendid solution. Some scenes still look pretty cheap, but overall the effects never take away from the film.

Another thing worth mentioning is the music. Although probably hit and miss for many, I liked the music Hark has chosen for this film. Especially the song with the Indian (?) dancers stayed long after the movie had finished. Pretty strange, not everyone will far for it but I think it worked wonders here.

Of course, there's also the quirky acting and silly humor that are ever present in these HK films. It comes with the territory and I don't mind one single bit, but it's another factor that will turn off some people from films like Green Snake. Their loss I guess.

It's pretty easy to love or hate these kind of films. But if you're a fan of this kind of cinema, Green Snake is one of the best films to pick. It's Tsui Hark at his best, the film is lush in its visuals and score, is entertaining to the core and wastes no time on unnecessary things. Very likable and extremely well-made. 4.0*/5.0*

Tsui Hark's magical fantasy Green Snake is such a tour de force of stunning visuals and expertly crafted moments of cinema magic that one can easily forgive the occasional dodgy special effect or lapse in narrative cohesion.

Maggie Cheung plays the beautiful titular character, one of a pair of benign female snake demons who have mastered the ability to transform themselves into humans. Her companion, White Snake (Joey Wang), is far more experienced than Green at altering her appearance, and has also managed to acquire human emotions, falling in love with a young scholar Hsui Xien (who is quite unaware that his girl is actually a scaly serpent in disguise).

Desperate to experience the same feelings as White, but unable to control her desires, Green also attempts to seduce Hsui Xien (the lucky old so-and-so), and even tries to seduce a powerful monk, Faat Hoi, whose mission it is to trap demons; this naturally causes all kinds of problems which eventually result in Hsui Xien discovering White's secret.

For the majority of its running time, the lyrical beauty of Hark's tale is more than enough to retain one's attention; even when there isn't much happening story-wise, the film is shot with such style that it is totally captivating. For example, the scene in which Green gatecrashes a Bollywood dance routine while a rain-drenched White slithers off to spy on the scholar might not add much to the plot, but with its lush colours, amazing soundtrack, and Cheung's impossibly sexy performance, it's one of the most memorable cinematic sequences that I've seen.

Towards the end of the film, events do start to become slightly wearisome, and perhaps the film is a little too long for its own good; some viewers may find Hark's leisurely pace a little too slow, whilst others might laugh at the sometimes less-than-effective special effects (the CGI magic crane is certainly very weak). However, the film's positives far outweigh its negatives, and fans of Asian fantasy should definitely seek it out.

It is a really good movie. Both teal snake and white snake are charming and deadly attractive. Xu Xian is a everyday Joe male character. No man won't envy his good luck with beautiful women! ;) The monk--Fa Hai--is stubborn and prejudiced in his attitude towards human and non-humans. In the end, he seems to regret what he has done to the snake sisters. The story stresses the sexual desire of human beings. ;) Even the monk, who has reached the prestige of human-buddie, cannot deprive himself of sexual imagination and impulse.

The pace of the story telling is fast; the structure of the story plots is compact; the special visual effect of magic casting and fighting is eye catching; and the music and singing is touching and resonant with the progress of the story.

Oddly enough I have never gotten around to watching "Green Snake" (aka "Ching se") before 2016, despite being a huge fan of Maggie Cheung. But with hand on heart, then I can say that I hadn't been missing out on a masterpiece. Sure "Green Snake" was entertaining enough for what it was, but it just wasn't outstanding or particularly memorable.

The story is about two female snake spirits aspiring to become humans, and they are mingling with humans in order to learn how to become human. And a monk comes across the two snakes, learning about their nature and behavior, he must rectify their behavior in the eyes of Buddha.

The storyline was adequate, but I think you must be Chinese in order to fully appreciate the story and be familiar with the legend upon which director Tsui Hark based his movie. For a Westerner then "Green Snake" seemed a silly action comedy more than anything else.

What makes "Green Snake" work out on the screen is the acting talents that they had recruited for the movie. Joey Wang (playing White Snake) and Maggie Cheung (playing Green Snake) were really carrying the movie quite nicely and they were well-cast for the roles of the snakes-morphed-into-human-shape. Hsing-Kuo Wu (playing the scholar) was also adding a good amount to the movie with his performance. However, personally, then I can't claim to think that Wenzhuo Zhao (playing the monk) really had any good acting skill in this movie.

The effects in the movie were adequate for what the movie was, and taking into consideration that the movie is from 1993, then don't get your hopes up too high. The snakes were adequate, but the summoned fiery dragon was ludicrous to look at.

What did work for the movie was the transition between human and snake that the sisters had going on. There was a great sense of them actually being snakes in human bodies. And thumbs up to Tsui Hark, Maggie Cheung, Joey Wang and the special effects team on their accomplishments in order to make this believable.

If you are expecting a grand martial arts drama, then "Green Snake" will leave you sorely disappointed. This is not a martial arts movie, despite having some fighting sequences here and there. This is a fantasy drama movie based on a Chinese legend.

This 1993 movie is not really amongst the more impressive of movies to have been directed at the hand of Tsui Hark.

Two snakes that evolved into women, a tibetan priest, a teacher of poetry and a wonderful frame made up of peach blossom petals, lotus flowers and lanterns lit at night on the river are the ingredients that make "Green Snake" a dream-like movie. The story, slow compared to Tsui Hark standards, flows through two paths: on the first one (lighthearted, playful and with a touch of irony which is never unwelcome) we get to enjoy the life of two snake-girls (White Snake, played by Joey Wang, and Green Snake, played by Maggie cheung) who, by stumbling into a village and alluring every one, cause a lot of turmoil among the people's hearts. White Snake, having trained much more than Green Snake and thus having acquired human feelings, actually succeeds in winning the love of the poetry teacher. On another scenario, the tibetan priest lives in a nearby temple, meditating, trying to gain spiritual ascension, helping people whenever they are in trouble and in general doing his best to preserve the natural balance of the world. However, not everything is like it seems at first glance: while the two snake-girls actually show some positive will and determination as they tend sick people, the priest, although he stops tidal waves from flooding the village, never goes down to experiencing the condition of people... and, by acting as judge, risks of falling into the trap of self-esteem and prejudice. Apart from the thoughtfulness it inspires, the movie is unique in fantasy and never ceases to wonder, regardless if it's autumn, winter or spring! 10/10

This film was wacky, weird, and just plain nutty. It absolutely amazes me how Hong Kong Cinema, and Asian cinema in general, tries to pull off such lavish and fantastic movies on such small budgets. I can only imagine how much money a Hollywood exec. would think of throwing into a picture like this. When some guy is China is saying, "Hmmm, you need a giant talking snake, huh? Give me $20 and a new bicycle and u got it by next week."

What a wild ride, (got lucky and saw it on the big screen) but what would you expect from Tsui Hark. The guy is just awesome with the camera, its so kinetic, it can make the weak sick. The story line of this movie is also kinetic - part myth, part fantasy, part romance, part comedy, with a little bit of kung-fu thrown in as well. I loved the setting; the canal town, it was really beautiful. The effects wern't bad either.

The whole move is basically about the struggles of female sexuality in a male world. I think the points of the story are great, but the action is just so nuts, its almost hard to watch. Seeing Maggie Cheung and her co-star slither around on their bellies was really funny. The two were quite sexy together, and there were some fantastic scenes in the movie, but, I think it was just a little too much for me to take. I was a bit disappointed because I was hoping for a little more action than the silly comedy. Fans of the fantasy genre should get a kick out of it. But, I'd rather see some Wu-tang clan stuff, or just watch Maggie Cheung for 2 hours. (oh - the title song will haunt you!)

Director Tsui Hark is most well known for "Black Mask", "Zu Warriors" and "Once upon a time in China", but not too many have seen "Green Snake". "Green Snake" is one of the most breathtaking Hong Kong films next to "Hero". It has many similar elements to Zu Warriors, since so many of the characters can fly. The story is based on an ancient Chinese folk tale. Two sisters are snakes, but they disguise themselves as humans, since snakes are looked down upon. A master monk is out to destroy the sisters fearing that they're a threat. White snake wants to be normal, she marries a clumsy monk who has no idea she's a snake. Green Snake is the wild sister, who enjoys morphing from snake to human form. Although the film's giant snake looks kind of fake, the film makes up for it with creativity. Bright colors, surreal dreamlike landscapes and martial arts magic are all part of "Tsui Hark's "Green Snake". It's also very trippy, like "Fellini Satyricon". "Green Snake" is an amazing film that needs to be seen!

Tsui Hark is one of those director's that sort of polarizes his audience. You either go along with his loopy, unique directorial style or you get angry at him. Other directors like him are Sam Raimi and Takeshi Miike. They all go where their muse takes them regardless of where the movie is at the moment.

The film tells the story of two giant magical snakes who decide to experience human emotional life. We first encounter them while a super powered Buddhist is searching for evil spirits to destroy. He starts to attack them but relents when he discovers that the snakes are sheltering a pregnant woman in labor from a torrential downpour. The snakes enter the local town and one, White Snake, chances upon a bureaucrat who catches her fancy. The two transform into human form, create a mansion by spell and lure the bureaucrat there. White Snake falls in love with the man, marrying him, while Green Snake, her sister, has problems understanding the human emotions her sister is so capable of enjoying. Green is also having a hard time hiding her true snake self from her sister's husband. It gets complicated with the monk entering the picture once again with bad consequences for all.

First of all, this is a story that fully compliments Hark's style. Unlike other films of his that I felt were compromised by his experiments and vaudeville style, here it almost all works wonderfully. The fantastic characters and action of Chinese mythology are colorfully illustrated here. The art direction and photography is excellent as well. Music score is great.

I felt the film was a commentary on religious rigidity but clearly this production has many meanings to different viewers. That's a sign of a good movie. Recommended.

Hong Kong cinema never shies away for some over the top story-telling, but when dealing with a lush fairy tale like this Green Snake, and having added a pinch of tongue-in-cheek like Tsui Hark did here, without slacking in the camera- and special effects-departments, it is an exciting, mesmerizing experience ! What a wonderful and loveable movie !

...and this one's very good. It's a retelling of the Chinese legend Madam White Snake, and while some of the effects aren't what a big-budget film would allow, Cheung and Wang convey a sexiness in their roles that make it highly entertaining.

Shaw Brothers made a version of the story titled Madam White Snake in the 60's or 70's. In 2001, there was a very lengthy Taiwan-produced TV series of the same name. So far as I know, neither of these are out on DVD.

Sorry for the silly title -- though it's true (my notions about Chinese would have it called 'White Snake, Green Snake'.) OK, now that I've outed myself as a bit of a HK-geek, I'll just say that I enjoyed this one quite a bit. If you're the type you likes the quirky, wonderful comedy/supernatural/action genre perfected by Hong Kong cinema you won't be disappointed. (Of the action it's more magic and wires than kung-fu, but still action to be sure). The main draw for me though, besides the well-played and attractive leads (and interesting tension in knowing they're both snakes) was the originality of the story, and relative unpredictability as to where it was going. Nice details throughout told me this was the work of a thoughtful director, despite the odd moment of unintentional comedy.

WOW.

Chinese film makers have definitely made great strides since the days of the shaw brothers cookie cutter chop socky genre.

this film is based on a legendary story but clearly takes the story line and presentation to a remarkable and very entertaining spot.

sexuality is explored and well as the gamut of emotions humans experience. these are explored in the context of the snake beings learning how to behave as humans.

I am dazzled by Maggie. I wish I had known she was in Hamilton doing 'Clean' maybe I could have gotten an autograph.

honestly, I've never seen a film with such a wondrous fantasy setting that still presented some moral lessons and thought provoking ideas about human interaction.

I've seen previews of this film as a kid.

When I watched it as an adult, I found it aesthetically pleasing.

It was very bizarre like most Chinese comedy films that came out during the 90s.

A random film to watch if you're high.

This version of the Green Snake or the Legend of the White Snake is my favorite story about the White Lady and Xiaoqing. Unlike many other versions, this one, people are shemales and demons. It takes thousands of years of demon cultivation to cultivate a human form, and try to enter the world and pretend to be a person, but to say one thing and do another like a person, laugh and hate in front of you, you still need more difficult cultivation. But people naturally have all kinds of bad deeds, which are worse than demons. In this story, humanity is ripped off its clothes, and its ugly nature is nakedly displayed. The casting of each character is so exquisite, it makes people completely immersed in this fantasy story. Recommended to everyone.

In this traditional Chinese story, few stories tell the story from the perspective of a green snake. The art and composition of the film are full of oriental privacy. The storyline is too bold, and the makeup of the characters is memorable. It turned out that such an excellent film was shot in the last century.

Beautiful movie, exploring philosophical buddhist themes as reincarnation, spiritual elevation and transmutation of souls, but in a captivating and often humorous romance drama.

The use of camerawork, lighting and decors is exceptional. Yes, a lot of the special effects and graphics are clearly fake, but it doesn't take too much away from the movie as a whole.

The setting is also amazing, what a beautiful ancient town, nature and temples we get to see.

What does it mean to be human? Is a monk always right when it comes to matters of spirituality? These and more questions will be answered in this masterpiece.

Touching, funny, inspiring. A+++

Green Snake was gonzo in a way that was almost hard to keep up with, but I still really liked the ride it took me on. It's got a little martial arts, some moving romance and melodrama, and a lot of wild fantasy, too. The main characters are snake sisters who can disguise themselves as humans (one better than the other), and that's only the beginning.

I liked a good deal of the music throughout, and it probably goes without saying (at least to anyone else who's seen this) but the film is stunning to look at. I could've fallen behind all of it, instead of just a decent chunk of it, and I think the experience of watching Green Snake still would've been decently rewarding, just based on how it looks and feels. It's very dreamy and captures a folk/fairy tale feeling well.

It's the kind of thing that would be great to see on a big screen, but it's probably a bit too obscure for that to ever happen in my area. It does make me think of another wild, visually out-there movie that did just come out in cinemas (begins with "M" and ends with "alopolis") that was just unwieldy in the end; somewhat dazzling and somewhat frustrating. Green Snake is pretty much all dazzling, and it's nice to see something that feels weird that also stays coherent, based on its own rules. Not to mention sticking to its visual style to a T. Tsui Hark feels like he had real control over this, even when it starts to spin out of control and get extra dizzying.

Upon this ancestral stage, even the most virtuous are drawn in by the temptations of Maggie Cheung and Joey Wong. A rich ethereal tapestry of stunning colour, kitsch illusionism and slow-motion eroticism, Green Snake has been on my radar for a while now but little prepared me for how vividly imaginative it would end up being. A profound metaphor for the frailties of humanity and the fallacy of religion, Tsui Hark's take on the White Snake folk tale left him plenty of time to ruminate on what would happen post-1997. The snakes are depicted as creatures simply seeking to live their lives in the human world, but they face denial and persecution from strict societal norms and overzealous individuals enforcing the so-called "natural order." The primary enforcer of these rules is devoted monk, Fa-Hoi, who is also shown to be just as susceptible to desire, anger, and even hypocrisy as the snakes. While the snakes seek love, family, and hope, Fa-Hoi and his Buddhist enforcers are denying the very humanity that they claim to be upholding. Fate, love, sex, hate, religion and desire all play a role in eventually bringing down the world the two snakes attempt to build. The allegory here is obvious, Fa-Hoi's large red surplice only means one thing: China. Beyond the film's fangs with its messaging, it's directed with all of Tsui's usual flair for the kaleidoscopic that's part art-house wuxia, part softcore smut but all beauty. Bringing weight to the proceedings are fantastic performances from its central trio with Maggie Cheung and Joey Wong turning in gorgeous performances as the sister snakes, while Vincent Zhao gets an equal opportunity to shine when the two ladies aren't bathing in the limelight. The art direction, outstanding musical score and beautiful costume design all add to the spectacle, really I only have slight niggles with the hilariously charming rubber snakes and horrendous early CGI which are thankfully kept to a minimum, other than that, Green Snake is a must-watch.

If you're in the mood for a chinese folk/fairy tale with great visuals and production design, this is right up your alley.

It's relentless, it never takes a break from the fantastical feel, for 98 minutes it wants you to escape your boring life and fully transport you to this realm in which two sister snakes (one green and one white) want to be human but are hunted by a buddist monk. It's great! I really don't know why it's called Green Snake when the White one is as much part of the story as the first one. Maybe because the green one is more in touch with her mystical side by the end, rather than the human side?

It's interesting how religion is the one fighting mysticism here...how religion fights fantasy. Only with Buddhism you can do this.