BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR (1993)

By Craig Reid     June 08, 2001

Director Ronnie Yu's beautifully made tale is based on cult martial arts novelist Jin Yong's famous Chinese fable about rival Ming Dynasty clans and a forbidden love affair between a swordsman and a 'wolf girl' who possesses supernatural powers. In order to foil the plans of their back-to-back Siamese twin enemy, the Wu Dung clan unify various martial art schools. During these troubled times, swordsman Zhuo Yi Hang (Leslie Cheung) encounters the beautiful yet deadly and mysterious Lian Ni Chang, powerfully portrayed by Brigitte Lin Ching Xia. After their romance blossoms, they flee the conflict but are eventually dragged back into the fray where they must now battle each other. To soothe the pain of her broken heart, Lian transforms into an invincible, white haired demonic warrior and wreaks havoc across the land. This romantic tragedy successfully broke into the foreign markets, presenting a highly effective blend of myth, romance and super-stylized violence. It's elegant use of color and widescreen puts this cut above the usual run-of-the-mill Hong Kong actioners.--Craig D. Reid