http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/30/Retro-Rant-THE-BRIDE-WITH-WHITE-HAIR.aspx Any film fan who watches more than, say, three films made somewhere besides Hollywood realizes that different cultures use different storytelling grammars and conventions. In some cases, the differences aren’t so large. In others, the difference can be startling. Hong Kong films are a good case in point; by Western standards, HK cinema is often chaotic, wildly melodramatic, and done on the cheap, laughably so in many cases. Once you’ve seen a couple, though, you realize that much of that initial impression is due to cultural factors, and you can enjoy the stories on their own merits. There are many great HK films to enjoy, but one of the most deliriously fun to watch is the 1993 classic THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR. The film opens with reluctant hero Cho Yi-Hang (Leslie Cheung) sitting on a mountain, guarding a fabled rose rumored to grant healing and possibly immortality to those who ingest it. Since it only blooms every 20 years, one might understand the demand for such a thing. Anyway, after beating up some royal retainers trying to save their king, we flashback a few years, to when Cho was but a boy. After his parents die, Cho is taken in by the leader of the Eight Clans (Fang Pao) and groomed by his master to succeed him as Joint Chief. Cho grows up to become a mighty swordsman, but has a serious handicap: he’s just too damn nice. He’d rather forgive wrongs, protect the helpless and give peace a chance than slaughter his enemies where they stand, a stance that puzzles his master and rubs his rival Ho Lu Hua (Kit Ying Lam) the wrong way, especially as she wants the Joint Chief gig. en-US Critics Rant info@criticsrant.com Subtext Version 1.9.4.0 http://www.criticsrant.com/images/default_gravatar_bullhorn.png http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/30/Retro-Rant-THE-BRIDE-WITH-WHITE-HAIR.aspx 77 60