Painted Skin Hua Pi Directed by Gordan Chan
Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, Donnie Yen & Chen Kun in Chinese Horror Romance
May 7, 2009 Lynette S.K. Webster
Painted Skin, or Hua Pi in Mandarin, is an intriguing remake. Hong Kong director Gordan Chan takes a fresh approach to this sensitive story, with a twist. Gone are the days of Beast Cops, Fist of Legend and King of Beggars. Painted Skin loses the tackiness required by Chan’s previous films, and is classier.
Screened in Asia, Painted Skin is about a beautiful woman Xiao Wei (Zhou Xun) rescued from bandits by soldiers in the desert. Soon after, the town occupied by the soldiers is haunted by horror killings. General Wang Sheng (Chen Kun) believes Xiao Wei, but his wife Peirong (Vicky Zhao Wei) suspects Xiao Wei is a witch. She enlists the help of ex-lover Yong (Donnie Yen) who was the former general.
Zhou Xun as Xiao Wei
Who can resist a beautiful woman? Director Gordan Chan plays up Zhou Xun’s allure, by maximizing the colour of her skin onscreen - alabaster. The film opens with a horde of bandits preying on a vulnerable Zhou Xun, naked and wrapped in white fox fur. (In Chinese myth, the term hu li jing or fox spirit refers to the seductive third party.) The bandit leader corners Xiao Wei and suffers a horrific ending. Zhou Xun is superbly cast as Xiao Wei, with her classical Chinese beauty: small lips, fair skin, arresting eyes with sorrowful expression. Moreover, Zhou Xun does not sound like a little girl: she speaks assuredly, like Gong Li in Ju Dou. She plays a fox spirit whose diet of human hearts keeps her youthful, hence the title Painted Skin.
Horror Love Story with a Twist
Director Gordan Chan ensures the conclusion is not foregone. The plotline turns nicely, revealing Zhou Xun’s passion for the General as more than power play. She really loves him, and is jealous of his steadfast commitment to his wife. Chen Kun plays General Wang Sheng very straight, and his lack of guile keeps audiences guessing. Wang repeatedly tells Xiao Wei: “There is only one Mrs. Wang”, but how many believe him? Viewers expecting gore should avoid Painted Skin, as it is more love story than horror flick.
Donnie Yen & Qi Yuwu in Action
There are several love triangles in Painted Skin. Donnie Yen is Yong, Peirong’s ex-lover who abandoned his army to Wang Sheng. He returns upon Peirong’s request, to hunt the fox spirit with Ghost Buster Xia Bing (a bubbly Betty Sun). Qi Yuwu, a Singapore-based China actor, plays the chameleon spirit who procures hearts for his love, Xiao Wei. Action is wedged between confrontations, where Xiao Wei is interrogated. Donnie Yen’s confidence as an actor shows through his mature performance, preparing him for complex and exciting roles, leading to his big role: Ip Man. Yen's performance as Yong is stronger than his previous incarnation in Dragon Tiger Gate.
Vicky Zhao Wei Evolves as an Actress
The most interesting performance comes from Vicky Zhao Wei. She is the biggest surprise, as she plays Wang Sheng’s wife Peirong extremely low-key. No more the willful Xiao Yanzi in Princess Pearl, Vicky Zhao Wei carefully portrays Peirong as subservient wife: sure of her hunches, but without histrionics. Her recent performance in Red Cliff proves her acting has truly evolved. Credit should also go to costume, for draping long hair and gorgeous bedclothes on both China actresses.
Summary of Painted Skin
Hua Pi, Painted Skin is a China-Hong Kong collaboration like Red Cliff and Warlords, where China’s legends are depicted on a grand scale. Painted Skin may be better appreciated by female viewers, who can admire its cinematic beauty and forgive the sentimental ending.
- Painted Skin (Hua Pi: Hong Kong Mandarin title; Wa Pei: Hong Kong Cantonese title)
- Director: Gordan Chan
- Writer: Songling Pu (novel)
- Actors: Zhou Xun, Vicky Zhao Wei, Donnie Yen, Chen Kun, Betty Sun, Qi Yuwu, David Leong
- Running time: 103 minutes (South Korea)
Painted Skin Stars Zhou Xun as Xiao Wei
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Zhou Xun as seductive, luminescent Fox Spirit
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