Ching se

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 !

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.

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

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.

...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.