Two – no, make that two pairs – of women share an intense, special bond in “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan,” the latest film from director Wayne Wang. Alas Wang, good at emotional dramas, struggles to connect two similar plots taking place in 19th and late 20th century China.
In 1827, Snow Flower and Lily are bound, both physically and figuratively. The film makes a point of illustrating the terrible practice of foot binding. Each crack and pop of bones is heard on the soundtrack. The two girls, each from a different social class, are introduced to one another as laotong, sisters for life. Even when they are grown, and separated by marriage, they communicate by nüshu, a secret written language among women used in Hunan, China. The titular fan serves as the vessel for their messages.
Meanwhile, the film gives us the story in 1997 of Sophia and Nina. Like Snow Flower and Lily, they too are of different classes. Nina looks out for her more impulsive friend, Sophia. And instead of secret nüshu, they have text messages.
The modern story is superfluous, uninteresting, and wasn’t even part of the book the film is based on. The actresses struggle with their parts when speaking in English, and Hugh Jackman appears from nowhere to whisk Sophia off to Australia in an episode that feels half-formed. Snow Flower and Lily are given better parts, even as the history of China gets thrown piecemeal into the script. Emotionally, they’re closer to each other than their husbands. But “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” creaks under the weight of its comparison between the two laotong sisters.
The camerawork is solid, and Rachel Portman’s score is very, very pretty, using both western strings and Chinese instruments like the erhu and pipa. I’d recommend the soundtrack, but not the film.
In 1827, Snow Flower and Lily are bound, both physically and figuratively. The film makes a point of illustrating the terrible practice of foot binding. Each crack and pop of bones is heard on the soundtrack. The two girls, each from a different social class, are introduced to one another as laotong, sisters for life. Even when they are grown, and separated by marriage, they communicate by nüshu, a secret written language among women used in Hunan, China. The titular fan serves as the vessel for their messages.
Meanwhile, the film gives us the story in 1997 of Sophia and Nina. Like Snow Flower and Lily, they too are of different classes. Nina looks out for her more impulsive friend, Sophia. And instead of secret nüshu, they have text messages.
The modern story is superfluous, uninteresting, and wasn’t even part of the book the film is based on. The actresses struggle with their parts when speaking in English, and Hugh Jackman appears from nowhere to whisk Sophia off to Australia in an episode that feels half-formed. Snow Flower and Lily are given better parts, even as the history of China gets thrown piecemeal into the script. Emotionally, they’re closer to each other than their husbands. But “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” creaks under the weight of its comparison between the two laotong sisters.
The camerawork is solid, and Rachel Portman’s score is very, very pretty, using both western strings and Chinese instruments like the erhu and pipa. I’d recommend the soundtrack, but not the film.
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