TEMPTRESS MOON
(FENG YUE)
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
TEMPTRESS MOON (FENG YUE) is a cinematic tone poem from director Kaige Chen. Chen, whose last work was the highly regarded FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE, contents himself this time with dazzling the audience with a film of stunning beauty. Populated by characters who are little more than window dressing, the picture delights the senses, but rarely involves the viewers. The characters are mere portraits on Chen's mantle with the viewers becoming voyeurs into the two dimensional world he creates.
The obtuse script by Kaige Chen, Kei Shu, and Anyi Wang represents a challenge. Like an opera, you need to read the plot outline ahead of time to keep the main characters straight, and even then, some of the minor ones will confuse you. After meticulously following the story, I realized in the end that it didn't matter. The movie's enjoyment comes from its visuals, so concentrating on the plot is a pointless diversion. Nevertheless, I will describe some of story's highlights.
The movie opens in China in 1911. The last dynasty is crumbling, and the forces of modernization are around the corner. From its first scenes the movie overwhelms us with its nostalgic and romantic cinematography. After beginning the movie with a little girl extolling the virtues of opium, the film switches to a river scene, where a boat floats through the hazy, dark night. The large and lush green leaves of the plants cut through the darkness as the boat plies its way forward.
The people at the palace of the Pang family go wild when they learn that the emperor has abdicated. The Pangs are cast as the Timothy Learys of that era. Old Master Pang, his daughter Ruyi and his son Zhengda are more than addicted, they revel in their worship of opium. In one telling and erotic image, a girl will caress an opium pipe with her mouth. After this opening act, the picture loses its obsession with opium until the drug returns briefly in the last act.
The story skips ahead ten years. Old Master Pang has died and his son Zhengha has become a zombie as opium has fried his brain. Elder Qi (Xiangting Ge) declares that Pang's daughter Ruyi (Gong Li) will rule the large Pang estate, and he appoints her distant cousin Duanwu (Kevin Lin Jianhua) as a kind of a guardian for her. Duanwu is instructed to call Ruyi "sister," and Elder Qi figures, incorrectly, that he can control Duanwu and hence Ruyi.
While a child, Zhengda had a servant named Zhongliang (Leslie Cheung) whom he treated badly. Now Zhongliang's boss in Shanghai sends him back to the Pang estate where the adult Zhongliang and Ruyi become attracted to each other.
The story has gotten quite complicated by this point, but don't worry about it. Just lean back and enjoy Qiagui Huang's handsome sets, listen to Jiping Zhao's longing music, admire William Chang and Chen Changmin's gorgeous costumes and, most of all, soak in the radiance of Christopher Doyle's incredible cinematography. Granted, the film does not have the beauty of SHANGHAI TRIAD, but it comes close.
Certainly, any film starring as lovely an actress as Gong Li (TO LIVE and SHANGHAI TRIAD) is worth seeing for that reason alone. The camera loves her, and, even if she demonstrates little of her considerable acting talent in TEMPTRESS MOON, she has a picture perfect smile.
Tone poems must be short to be effective. TEMPTRESS MOON wears out its welcome and goes on long past its natural ending point. When the inevitable tragic end occurred, I found myself unmoved and merely glad the movie was finally over. What had started out pleasantly enough had become repetitive and tiresome.
TEMPTRESS MOON runs too long at 2:00. The film is in Chinese with English subtitles. It is rated R for sex, drug usage, and a little profanity. It would be fine for older teenagers, but I would worry that younger ones would not be able to see through the pro-drug beliefs of the Pang family. I enjoyed watching the movie's visuals, but not enough to be able to recommend the film. I give it **.
**** = A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: April 7, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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