Song jia huang chao

Mabel Cheung's abuse of her talents for a tribute(or bribery) to main China. Her femini-nationalism has shifted from warm and sympathetic episodes of Chinese emigrants to a bravado of Song sisters' historic activities during the political turmoil of modern China. Kitaro's music and all-star castings are just a whip of exceedingly sweet cream decorated on a clumsy cook's cake, in order to hide the black burnt sides. They did not want cream but cake for the celebration of Chinese retrieval of Hong Kong!

9* out of 10

This stunning non-fiction epic is filled with cinematic splendour. Base on accounts of the social upheavals in various points and eras in Chinese history, it is filled with gorgeous cinematography, great score by Kitaro and great cast. Historically accurate if not, a few minor point may be incorrect, but as a whole, it shows you the big picture.

With some of the best stars there is from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Maggie Cheung, Michelle Khan and Vivian Wu portrayal as the three sister are excellent. But the most powerful in performance are from the men. Jiang Wen (outspoken Charlie Soong) also a favourite actor of mine, Winston Chou (charismatic Sun Yatsen) and Kuo Chiuwu (commanding Chiang Kaishek) are powerful and haunting.

Despite an 18 minute footage cut from the original, still its a great direction from Mabel Cheung. As a loyal fan of great movies from China, in likes of directors Yimou, Kaige, XieFei and HePing, Soong Sisters to me will be one of my personal favourite masterpiece, one of the few from Hong Kong.

Genghiz

On the eve of the turnover to China, Mabel Cheung decides to soft-pedal (some might say "warp") history in favor of the party line. This is not so much the story as legend of the Soong Sisters, three well-educated Chinese women who (as the saying goes) respectively married for a love of wealth, a love of power, and a love of China.

As a soft-hued, Stanley Kwan-ish period piece, the melodrama works well enough. As a character study of these singular women, it is disturbingly deficient; only Maggie Cheung as Ching-Ling, the socially conscious husband of Sun Yat Sen figures close to what we know. As history...well, let's just say that the film is oblivious to the oldest sister's well-documented draconian schemings, not to mention the youngest's public charisma crossed with spoiled petulance.

It's critical to the film that these three extraordinary women be portrayed as personable; as Ai-ling, the oldest sister, Michelle Yeoh is always engaging and instantly likable. The real Ai-ling may have put on a show for friends and diplomats, but the record tells a different story, which includes political assassination and worse. A film has to be evaluated on its honesty, the The Soong Sisters -- perhaps consciously, perhaps not -- tells lies that brutalized generations.

This film does have extraordinary set-decoration and photography, and its story is quietly engaging. A few even sniffled at the poignant finish. I can imagine there's just as much reason to react in anger. If you must, see it for the high-budget glory, but dismiss it as anything but fiction.

I was able to view this film at its American premiere at an historic theatre in Macon, GA. Why Macon, GA? Because the Soong sisters were educated at Wesleyan College, in Macon, GA. I was a student at Wesleyan at the time and was already in awe of the "aura" of the Soong sisters. This film only increased that awe. Being a history major, historical films are often difficult to for me to watch whenever there are any inaccuracies. However, I was completely engrossed with this film from the first beautifully shot scene to the last. The artistic merit of this movie is enough of a reason to watch it. I can't recommend this film to everyone; it is long, about history, & has subtitles (which my husband would argue makes for a horrible film). If you like films which draw you in & leave you wanting more, this is a good addition to your collection.

Modern Chinese History forms the backdrop for this sweeping portrait of the Soong Sisters, three siblings who married powerful men and used their positions to influence the politics of early 20th Century China. The film spans the period from the formation of the Chinese Republic in 1911 to the take-over by the Communists in 1949. The details of history take a back seat to the real focus of this movie, however, which delves into the intricate and intimate relationships these women have with their husbands, their parents, and each other.

Lushly photographed and superbly acted, the movie showcases the talents of three veteran actors of Asian Cinema. Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Vivian Wu play sisters Ai-ling, Ching-ling, and May-ling Soong. All three seem well-cast and bring the full weight of their skill and experience to their roles. The move sizzles with electricity when these three beauties appear on screen together, as they do in several scenes. This is definitely a case where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Wen Jian gives an outstanding performance as father Charlie Soong, despite dying off half-way through the story. The death-bed scene, where he passes away in the presence of his wife and three daughters, is especially moving. Winston Chao and Hsing-Kuo Wu take sold turns as Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek.

The story explores a number of themes in both a personal and social/historical context. Conflicts between father/daughter, old values/new values, old China/new China, and East/West all figure prominently in the plot. A shoe metaphor runs through-out the film, depicting the step-by-step movement of Chinese history, bringing to mind the old Chinese proverb, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." This motif also reflects the increased role of women in Chinese social and political life, as they are liberated from the foot-binding that hobbled previous generations.

The movie is slow-moving at times, with some abrupt plot transitions. Director Mabel Cheung occasionally hits us over the head with that shoe to get her point across, and the script seems to contain some hints of political propaganda. Nevertheless, I found this to be a well-made and highly entertaining piece of Asian Cinema. Sadly, this movie is not likely to reach a wide North American audience because it's in Mandarin with English sub-titles. That's too bad, because it is just as accomplished as anything coming out of Hollywood these days, and well worth seeing.

****/5 stars.