Legend of Guan Gong

Legend of Guan Gong

Mandarin, English Subtitles

28 episodes, 6 discs

Rainy Day watched the first 3 episodes, and decided to put off watching the rest of disc 1, or any of disc two. The costuming, etc., were great, but the episodes seemed a tad slow. Where there were swordfights (taking place in roughly 200 CE there best not be guns), and the fights were beautifully choreographed, the story was slow. Perhaps, if Rainy Day watched one episode a day...? She may try them again, but thinks she will look for the book, Romance of the Three Kingdoms in English instead. this is an historical novel/movie and Guan Gong or Guan Yu has become deified as a God of War in the Chinese pantheon of Gods, and is still worshipped today. Because she did not watch the whole of it, or even the majority, Rainy Day has not rated it.

Snow Flower, review by Dame Judith

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011, 120 minutes

3 Stars

Unlike the novel, the movie expanded the basic story line to juxtapose the original story line of two women growing up separately in China circa 1880 against the movie's newly introduced two women growing up in present-day Hong Kong.

Thereby presenting the viewer with flashbacks among four different women's histories, and switchbacks between two sets of women's stories.  Hello? Do we now suspect why the movie reviewers were lukewarm about the movie version? 

Beautifully filmed as only what we Hollywood-fed movie goers term "foreign films" always seem to do.

The film is a blend of English and translated-Chinese captioning.

If feminine friends are key in your life, watch the movie.

I think I'm going to re-read the book. Click here for trailer.

I was intrigued by the historical binding of girls' feet and pacts between "sisters of the heart forever."

 How easily the story now "translated" to me. Have you seen the movie? Read the book? Did you find the translation as easy as I?