A unique gothic mystery and a classic of Hokkien-language cinema…
Unlike one may initially assume, the rather dramatically titled The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell is not an obscure offering of Taiwanese horror scene. Instead, this classic of the Hokkien-language cinema delivers a unique take on the gothic romance genre with mystery, romantic entanglements, murder and even a hint of supernatural. It may not be quite as suspenseful as some its Western counterparts, but still makes for highly enjoyable watch and deserves to stand proudly among the classics of the genre.
The film starts with a tragedy: Mrs. Wang and her (presumed) lover have disappeared while on a boating trip and are assumed dead. However, things don’t seem to add up for Mrs. Wang’s sister Sui-Mi (Chin Mei), who knows her older sister to be an honourable and austere woman. In the hopes of investigating her sister’s mysterious departure she takes up a job tutoring her poor motherless niece. Sui-Mi not only finds a deep love for the little girl her sister has left behind, but romance is also in the air as she finds herself falling for her brother-in-law, Yi-Ming (Ko Chun-Hsiung). However, the wedding plans of the two lovebirds are over-shadowed by the ghost of the late Mrs. Wang, the puzzle of her demise and a potential murderer on the loose. Will the loved-up couple get their happily ever after or will the new Mrs. Wang-to-be face the same fate as her sister before her?
The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell gets its inspiration from a gothic romance novel Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt, which in turn takes it’s cue from similar stories that came before it, such as Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë, 1847) or Rebecca (Dame Daphne du Maurier, 1938), where an impressionable young lady gets involved with a wealthy widower and the mystery of the first wife’s death casting it’s looming shadow over their newly found happiness. The film takes its time with the story and little snippets of information about the late Mrs. Wang and her life are revealed with gradual pace. Meanwhile, Sui-Mi comes to find her place in her new home and we are introduced to the various members of staff that keep the Wang household running, as well as the friendly brother and sister duo that live next door and seem to have a very chummy relationship with Yi-Ming and his daughter, casually visiting the estate at all hours of the day. The ghost of late Mrs. Wang makes an appearance every now and then, making sure her sister does not forget her true mission.
For modern audiences, The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell does not quite keep up the suspense that one would perhaps expect from such as film. Hitchcock’s wonderfully moody rendition of Rebecca (1940) is in my mind a pretty perfect example of how to weave such a mystery, making the viewer doubt everything and everyone on screen, and that is what I hoped The Bride would also deliver. Unfortunately, the suspense suffers somewhat from the unevenness of the story, as the plot meanders just tad too much in the middle of the film, and the enigma of Mrs. Wang’s death seems to be almost completely forgotten for a while. The supernatural elements also do not quite pack the punch one would hope and are mostly left as brief side notes to the story.
Despite these little niggles, The Bride is still a very enjoyable film. While the all-important brooding atmosphere does get a little lost with the pacing, the mystery of Mrs. Wang’s death does keep you hooked until the very end. The film also does a grand job in misdirecting the viewer, keeping the real culprits hidden in plain sight and offering some genuine surprises as a result. While somewhat rushed, the ending does also deliver a sweet moment of vindication as the evildoer gets what is coming to them in an almost Agatha Christie-type reveal. It may be slightly on the corny side, but still very satisfying.
I would happily recommend The Bride for any fans of gothic mysteries. It is not without its problems, but still possesses all the most important aspects of a good gothic thriller and delivers a stylish and one-of-a-kind viewing experience.
The Husband’s Secret is available online for free from 18 to 27 September from the Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh.
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