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Starring
:
Yuen
Sik Seung
Cheung
Doh Fook
Lau
Gai
Gwok
Bik Chuen
Ding
Chui Wa
Action
:
Woo
Gin Keung
Director
:
Ann
Hui
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THE
ROMANCE OF BOOK AND SWORD (1987)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Imagine
my surprise when, after just having finished a review of Chu
Yuan's 'The
Emperor And His Brother', I then discovered that 'The
Romance Of Book And Sword' was based on the same Louis Cha
book; I had heard much about the aesthetic qualities of Ann
Hui's film, but not the actual storyline or source material.
It seems appropriate, therefore, to review this alongside Chu
Yuan's interpretation and compare the way the two films tackle
the subject.
Ann
Hui's film starts with the Emperor Chien Lung on a hunt,
followed closely be his royal entourage. In a brief moment
alone, Chien Lung is confronted by two members of the 'Red
Flower Society' who tell the emperor that they have valuable
information about his origins. Confused by their impertinent
behaviour, Chien Lung has one of the men, Wu, captured and
taken to a royal stronghold for questioning. Meanwhile Chan
Julo, deputy chief of the society, amasses his forces in an
attempt to free his master and finally overthrow the Ching
dynasty. The loyal Han fighters come close to rescuing Wu, but
are forced to retreat at the last minute, therefore leaving
their leader once again in the hands of the enemy. Chan's next
operation is far more stealthy and the skilled swordsman
manages to sneak on to the roof of the pagoda where Wu is kept
captive. While eavesdropping, Chan hears Wu reveal that the
emperor is in fact a Han whose mother handed him to the
imperial court when he was a baby. Added to this fact is
Chan's realisation that Chien Lung is also his brother and
both men have befriended each other before, unaware of their
opposing identities. When Chan and Chien Lung meet again, both
men realise that their previous goals are compromised by their
new found knowledge and neither man is comfortable with their
position.
The
purpose of comparing the two interpretations is not to judge
who is the better director; Ann Hui and Chu Yuan tend to work
in completely different fields though both are highly-rated
film-makers. On seeing the two together, and even though I am
unfamiliar with Louis Cha's text, I would have to champion Ann
Hui's version and recommend it above the confusing 'The
Emperor And His Brother'. 'The Romance Of Book And Sword'
succeeds as a stand alone feature even though it was intended
to be watched alongside its second half, 'Princess Fragrance';
Hui makes sure that the qualities of the film do not alienate
those without knowledge of Chinese history or an understanding
of its political intrigues.
Though
Hui uses the same duration as Chu Yuan, her development of the
characters and situations is a definite improvement. What I
had initially feared would be a typical Han vs. Manchu
storyline gradually blossomed into a three-dimensional
character study about loyalty and responsibilities. Whereas
'The Emperor And His Brother' hints at the inner conflicts of
its two lead characters, 'The Romance Of Book And Sword'
actually delves into it and elevates itself from the usual
political intrigue. Hui's direction is also noteworthy; with a
vast array of rich landscapes at her disposal, the director
manages to draw on the majesty of China and add another layer
to the film. These horizons look spectacular when the film's
exceptional cinematography takes centre stage, Hui's fluid use
of the camera weaving in and out of the performers with
immense style and making the whole project look a notch above
average. There is an argument for 'The Emperor And His
Brother's more extensive use of action as a way of fleshing
out the intrigues; though they aren't incredible, there are
far more of them to enjoy. However, the few fight sequences
there are in 'The Romance Of Book And Sword' are well handled
and display some fine swordsmanship. Ann Hui's version of
Emperor Chien Lung isn't a masterpiece, but is certainly
worthy viewing - far more so than 'The Emperor And His
Brother'.
Rating:
 
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