Love and loss on a battlefield…
It’s rare to find a film where the main character tells you that his life is over because of the choices he made before the film truly starts. But director Ronny Wu (The Postman Strikes Back, Saving General Yang) really does start The Bride With White Hair like this reversing the story upon which it is based and really, setting us up for a different kind of martial arts fantasy.
For Asian fantasy films (and fantasy films in general) like Zu: The Warriors from the Magic Mountain, the plot moves in a linear fashion: we get the backstory, the setup and then the payoff. But Bride tells us this is going to be a tragedy. How much of a tragedy? A lot rests on the chemistry of the main leads and Bride sports two of Hong Kong’s finest at the height of their powers, Brigitte Lin (Peking Opera Blues, Police Story, Chungking Express) and the late Leslie Cheung (Farewell My Concubine, Ashes of Time, He’s a Woman, She’s a Man). Cheung stars as Zhuo Yihang, a martial artist about to inherit command of the strongest of eight martial arts sects from his mentor. Into this he finds himself dealing with a murderous cult led by the conjoined twins Ji Wushuang (Francis Ng and Elaine Lui) who are trying to destroy the clans. One of their number, Wolf Girl (Brigitte Lin), crosses swords with Zhuo during a fight between the two groups. Zhuo falls in love with the girl at first sight and pursues her to her hideaway and when the two fall in love, they realise they have to escape their two groups or perish.
Now, the fun of the film lies in the passion and intensity of the performances. Cheung and Lin throw themselves into the roles working towards what the director saw as a Romeo and Juliet story. As such, we know even without the start of the film with a forlorn Zhuo waiting for his love to return that things don’t work out but that doesn’t stop from enjoying the spectacle of two star-crossed lovers falling in love while both of their groups conspire to get them away. On Zhuo’s side, his friend He Lühua (Yammie Nam) and her father want him back for different reasons. She just wants him back for herself (there’s a bit of crush going on there) and he wants him back so he can force his mentor to throw him off the No. 2 spot in favour of his daughter. On Wolf Girl, or Nian Nichang as Zhuo names her, returning to her clan to announce she’s leaving, Francis Ng goes nuts and egged on by his twin Elaine Lui, turns his performance up to eleven with him writhing in agony (sometimes without his clothes) over the loss of the one he can’t have to trying to rape her before she can leave and finally with him ordering her to walk on hot coals while being beaten by the clan (yeah, they really filmed that). Nian gets battered senseless but still manages to walk away and Lin puts in a great performance of restraint and poise amid an onslaught of blows and a flurry of camera edits as Wu ratchets up the crazy until we get the sight of Lin, wearing a white dress covered in blood staggering away from the mayhem. Leslie Cheung’s performance also works in an opposite way. Whereas, Lin starts her film wild and untamable, he starts off as cocksure and arrogant of his abilities and of his place in the clan. He actively toys with the lesser skilled young fighters in the other clans and gets away with it because his master loves him. But as the stakes get raised and the clans need him to fight against the murder clan (i.e. against his girlfriend) he gets angry and belligerent toward them. Finally, his tragedy comes full circle and he is cast down by his love for disavowing her.
The look of the film also helps in my enjoyment of it with a range of insanely huge sets from a full martial arts hall with massive columns to a temple of steps and outpost lights making up the Murder Clan’s hideout. Lin’s transformation into the title character is pure 80’s (yes, I know the film came out in 93’) with an amazing team of pulleys and strings being used to turn Lin into a multi-tentacled hair warrior. Can’t believe I just wrote that last one. Along with that, the stunt work is topnotch with the final battle being frantic and manic with the camera never stopping until the end and then it just drifts toward the door and the denouement with an expended air. The hand to hand fighting scenes are also great to witness and while they are not Yuen Woo-Ping or Team Jackie Chan levels of skill, they showcase the cast in the best ways and the art design makes the story come alive and animate the world of our young lovers.
The Bride With White Hair looks like a product of its time with its 90’s era strobe lighting effects and the sheer craziness of its cast of villainy. But it’s a classic with two standout performances from Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung and an energy that leaves you satisfied with how things end for our lovers.