The plot is of a grief stricken woman who stalks her family's murderers, a common motivation in Chinese period pictures. Sumptuously photographed, slow moving and carefully precise in its period detail, this one is nonetheless very different from the type of film that typically inhabits this genre. Most significant is its evocation of its setting. Despite the opening massacre that drives its plot, the period evoked is not one of chaotic lawlessness and pervasive evil, but rather one in which ordinary people live ordinary lives and want ordinary things. Sometimes sudden violence enters the lives of such people, notably the main character played by Wu Chien Lien. I'm a big fan, and this is some of her best work. The character is basically a good person driven by and conflicted over a desire to revenge that is both beneath and ennobled by her. Her pain drives her to seek vengeance, but she is ever its reluctant agent. Too often in this sort of picture we watch a supposedly normal character morph into the Terminator following a lesser trauma than that faced by Wu. Here, what would have been a straight-forward revenge mission is continuously side-tracked by the unpredictable results of the interactions of the characters. Here again is a huge difference: necessities of plot do not contrive to move the characters along, but rather character serves to untrack plot. How often does that happen? Wu finds herself in very unfamiliar terrain as an agent of vengeance and reacts and interacts with this in moving and unexpected ways. The result is a very unique, difficult to predict and generally engrossing piece of period moviemaking.
5 Reviews
And Early Production from the Producer/Director of Hero
missbossy6 March 2003
The movie opens with a wedding scene. The bride hides in waiting for her groom to appear but when the wedding sedan arrives, her betrothed is not inside but a killer who guns down her entire family. As the sole survivor, she spends the next 9 years plotting revenge. This leads her into a liaison with an assassin who falls in love with her. Posing as a married couple, they become acquainted with their mark and his family. Revenge turns out to be less sweet than expected.
This story is a rather touching look at forgiveness despite all the bloodshed.
Wu Chien-Lien (Jacqueline Wu), who earlier appeared in the more famous Eat Drink Man Woman, is gorgeous as always. The movie was produced by Zhang Yimou in the same year he did Red Sorghum.
This story is a rather touching look at forgiveness despite all the bloodshed.
Wu Chien-Lien (Jacqueline Wu), who earlier appeared in the more famous Eat Drink Man Woman, is gorgeous as always. The movie was produced by Zhang Yimou in the same year he did Red Sorghum.
Wonderful period piece about revenge and regret.
red-7431 March 1999
This film seems to have slipped through the festival cracks, but is a beautifully photographed and expertly acted treatise not only on bloodlust, revenge and, ultimately, regret; but on preconceived notions leading people (audience included) far more astray than they can imagine.
Set during the collapse of the last Chinese Dynasty, the sole survivor of her family's massacre hires an assassin to murder the rival clan leader responsible for the slaughter.
One of the film's many characteristic, but unpredictable twists is that the leader's son falls in love with her and "asks" that she come to their home to pose for a portrait, thereby bringing her into intimate contact with a family she professes to hate.
No one in this film is what they seem, including the hired assassin who poses as her husband.
If you can find it, see it.
Set during the collapse of the last Chinese Dynasty, the sole survivor of her family's massacre hires an assassin to murder the rival clan leader responsible for the slaughter.
One of the film's many characteristic, but unpredictable twists is that the leader's son falls in love with her and "asks" that she come to their home to pose for a portrait, thereby bringing her into intimate contact with a family she professes to hate.
No one in this film is what they seem, including the hired assassin who poses as her husband.
If you can find it, see it.
Exquisite
anasamas21 August 2005
"Dragon Town Story" is such a simple title but what lies beneath is a wonderful story about love and life. The film is filled with terrifically real performances, memorable music, and can best be described as sheer visual poetry. Sometimes, subtitles can be a bit distracting, especially if they come up so quick that you need an Evelyn Wood diploma to keep up with the dialogue, but this WASN'T the case here. I think that the subtitles might have actually enhanced the film for me.
The movie is in Cantonese, a language that I am not familiar with, yet even the sound of the words had a rich, lyrical quality to them. Maybe this added to the mystique...
Don't know if it was the lighting, make-up, directing expertise, or his lead actress' natural beauty, but director Fengliang Yang captured a moment in time as the silver screen has arguably never seen a more angelically beautiful face than that of Chien-lien Wu in this film. Those eyes...those lips!!! Any man with a pulse could not help but be infatuated with her stunning screen presence..
Mr.Yang has not directed another film since making this masterpiece. It is unbelievably SAD that "Dragon Town Story" has not found its way to video or DVD, especially since Chinese heavyweight director Zhang Yimou was the executive producer of the project.
I knew nothing about this film upon entering the theater so had no idea of what to expect. This made it only that much sweeter. Just soaked it all in, and was simply mesmerized...so, I will provide NO plot outlines, NO specifics...PLEASE experience this movie as I did!
This film is only one of four that have ever merited a "10" in my book (80+films rated on IMDb with two id's plus thousands of films that I never bothered to cast official votes for) I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced this magnificent piece of work at the 2005 San Francisco Asian Film Festival. I sincerely hope that one day, you will be afforded the same opportunity.
The movie is in Cantonese, a language that I am not familiar with, yet even the sound of the words had a rich, lyrical quality to them. Maybe this added to the mystique...
Don't know if it was the lighting, make-up, directing expertise, or his lead actress' natural beauty, but director Fengliang Yang captured a moment in time as the silver screen has arguably never seen a more angelically beautiful face than that of Chien-lien Wu in this film. Those eyes...those lips!!! Any man with a pulse could not help but be infatuated with her stunning screen presence..
Mr.Yang has not directed another film since making this masterpiece. It is unbelievably SAD that "Dragon Town Story" has not found its way to video or DVD, especially since Chinese heavyweight director Zhang Yimou was the executive producer of the project.
I knew nothing about this film upon entering the theater so had no idea of what to expect. This made it only that much sweeter. Just soaked it all in, and was simply mesmerized...so, I will provide NO plot outlines, NO specifics...PLEASE experience this movie as I did!
This film is only one of four that have ever merited a "10" in my book (80+films rated on IMDb with two id's plus thousands of films that I never bothered to cast official votes for) I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced this magnificent piece of work at the 2005 San Francisco Asian Film Festival. I sincerely hope that one day, you will be afforded the same opportunity.
Gripping, beautifully photographed, sensitively acted
cbloomer3 February 2003
Warning: Spoilers
In Northern China during the early Republic (@ 1911 - 1925) Dragon Town warlord Xiong Jinbiao has the entire Jiang family gunned down in the street during a wedding procession. The bride, Jiang Lanjuan, is the secret sole survivor. She gives all her jewelry to an old family friend to pay for the family's burial, including an empty coffin to fake her own death.
Nine years later, bent on revenge, Lanjuan seeks to contract a legendary assassin, Li Qingyang, to kill the Xiong family. Virtually penniless, Lanjuan offers herself in payment. Instead of accepting her offer, Li instructs her to represent herself as ¡°Mrs Wang¡± to a certain landlady (Da Gusuo) in Dragon Town. Da Gusuo welcomes her, and portrays Xiong as a benefactor to the city ¨C making it possible for the entire city population to freely attend New Year's theatre performances (and later the gilding of the Buddha statue at the local temple).
Soon after arriving in Dragon Town, Lanjuan assumes the disguise of a young man and unsuccessfully attempts to shoot Xiong at a theatre performance. In the meantime, Li negotiates a contract with a rival warlord, Hu Danlong. to assassinate Xiong. Li arrives at the landlady's house as ¡°Mr Wang¡±, a visiting merchant.
Li and Lanjuan -- publicly masquerading as husband and wife while privately eschewing any sexual relationship -- methodically plot the massacre of the Xiong family. Suspicious of the couple, Xiong devises numerous strategies to flush out their true identity and motives. At the same time Lanjuan and Li develop deeper feelings for one another. In addition, Lanjuan's blood-thirst weakens as she comes to perceive Xiong's son and wife as innocents.
In the meantime, Xiong has amassed a robust military protectorate, which leads Hu Danlong to recognize the impossibilities of his own ambitions. When Li accidentally assassinates Xiong's son, Hu seizes the opportunity to become Xiong's ally, offering to flush out Li by capturing Lanjuan, whom Xiong vows to sacrifice at his son's funeral. Li intercepts the funeral procession; professes his true love for Lanjuan and offers his own life in place of hers -- whereupon Lanjuan movingly promises that in their next life she will be his wife and bear his children. The resolution turns on Xiong's heretofore unrevealed character.
Multi-layered with spiraling deceptions and constantly surprising revelations, the film moves toward its unpredictable conclusion like a chess game of destiny and karma in which moral space is subject to constant definition and redefinition. Despite occasional weaknesses in the plausibility of the plot, this is a gripping film from start to finish, beautifully photographed, sensitively acted, and masterfully edited. It will be most deeply appreciated, however, by viewers who welcome the opportunity to explore the dynamics of Buddhist moral discourse that lurk beneath the surface.
Nine years later, bent on revenge, Lanjuan seeks to contract a legendary assassin, Li Qingyang, to kill the Xiong family. Virtually penniless, Lanjuan offers herself in payment. Instead of accepting her offer, Li instructs her to represent herself as ¡°Mrs Wang¡± to a certain landlady (Da Gusuo) in Dragon Town. Da Gusuo welcomes her, and portrays Xiong as a benefactor to the city ¨C making it possible for the entire city population to freely attend New Year's theatre performances (and later the gilding of the Buddha statue at the local temple).
Soon after arriving in Dragon Town, Lanjuan assumes the disguise of a young man and unsuccessfully attempts to shoot Xiong at a theatre performance. In the meantime, Li negotiates a contract with a rival warlord, Hu Danlong. to assassinate Xiong. Li arrives at the landlady's house as ¡°Mr Wang¡±, a visiting merchant.
Li and Lanjuan -- publicly masquerading as husband and wife while privately eschewing any sexual relationship -- methodically plot the massacre of the Xiong family. Suspicious of the couple, Xiong devises numerous strategies to flush out their true identity and motives. At the same time Lanjuan and Li develop deeper feelings for one another. In addition, Lanjuan's blood-thirst weakens as she comes to perceive Xiong's son and wife as innocents.
In the meantime, Xiong has amassed a robust military protectorate, which leads Hu Danlong to recognize the impossibilities of his own ambitions. When Li accidentally assassinates Xiong's son, Hu seizes the opportunity to become Xiong's ally, offering to flush out Li by capturing Lanjuan, whom Xiong vows to sacrifice at his son's funeral. Li intercepts the funeral procession; professes his true love for Lanjuan and offers his own life in place of hers -- whereupon Lanjuan movingly promises that in their next life she will be his wife and bear his children. The resolution turns on Xiong's heretofore unrevealed character.
Multi-layered with spiraling deceptions and constantly surprising revelations, the film moves toward its unpredictable conclusion like a chess game of destiny and karma in which moral space is subject to constant definition and redefinition. Despite occasional weaknesses in the plausibility of the plot, this is a gripping film from start to finish, beautifully photographed, sensitively acted, and masterfully edited. It will be most deeply appreciated, however, by viewers who welcome the opportunity to explore the dynamics of Buddhist moral discourse that lurk beneath the surface.
See also
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