New films slammed for insulting classics

 

Two newly-released Chinese films has been slammed for disgracing the original classics.

One of them  is A Chinese Ghost Story - a remake of the 1980s Tsui Hark's film made famous by the late Leslie Cheung and Joey Wang.

Leslie and Joey

Leslie and Joey

A Chinese Ghost Story is based on Pu Songling's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi).

In the story, Ning Choi-san falls in love with a ghost Nip Siu-sin, who is controlled by a tree demon.

With help from a powerful exorcist and swordsman called Yin Chik-ha, they battle the demon to free Nip's soul. But in the new film, Nip is a fox demon (plays by Chinese actress Liu Yifei), who ridiculously falls in love with the exorcist, played by Louis Koo Tin-lok.

Yin Chik-ha captures Siu-sin's heart with a candy.

Louis and Liu Yifei

Louis and Liu Yifei

Viewers who had watched the film said the remake is an insult to the Qing Dynasty writer's classic.

Director Wilson Yip Wai-shun has stood by his film, saying the new script was written from a modern person's angle. "I feel that this version is a unique love story."

Another film being criticised is The Lost Bladesman, in which Donnie Yen plays the legendary Three Kingdoms character, General Guan Yu.

Guan Yu, who is respected for his loyalty and righteousness, was a red-face worrior who stood at 2.74m-tall (nine feet) and used a 18.25kg guan dao (blade).

Jiang Wen (left) and Donnie Yen

Jiang Wen (left) and Donnie Yen

He rode a chi tu ma (red hare horse), which reportedly died without eating after Guan Yu was murdered.

But in the film, the horse is nowhere to be seen. And Donnie Yen - who is only 1.74m-tall - does not use a guan dao, but an ordinary sword. Also his face is not red. But this is just the appearance, what shocks the viewers is that Guan Yu's sister-in-law secretly admires him.

To make thing worse, Cao cao - a legendary ruler played by Jiang Wen - falls in love with Guan Yu.

Although the two films have been greatly criticised, the roducers said the new elements were "a commercial gimmick that could not be neglected".
Source: Agencies

Published Apr 25 2011


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