Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is an exotic tale of friendship between two girls in China. The relationship is initiated formally by their families and the girls themselves continue to nurture the friendship despite their lives leading them on different paths. At its core it’s a tale of a relationship that doesn’t always survive human failings. We are given fascinating insights into the lives of 19th century women in rural China with glimpses into food, clothing, travel, rituals, ceremonies, songs and of course, the secret language of nu shu. The women must come to terms with their lives. They are constantly on edge, trying to navigate a complex web of relationships that bring much heartache but simply cannot be broken.
It's plain to see that the filmmakers were also enthralled by the story. So much so, that they decided to have it repeated TWICE in the movie – one is the original tale and the other is set in contemporary Shanghai. The same actresses portray both sets of laotong (sworn sisters).
Lily is born into a poor family. Based on the size and quality of her feet after the process of foot binding and also as predicted by the stars, she is destined to marry well and have a happy, prosperous life. In order to kick start her good fortune, she is contractually bound as a laotong to Snow Flower, a girl from an affluent family.
The girls grow to love each other dearly and strive to stay close even when Lily is married into a wealthy family and Snow Flower is wed to a lowly butcher.
It may be unfair to compare the movie to the book. Perhaps if you watch the movie without having read it, you might enjoy it. However, having watched the movie with the mater (who hadn’t read the book) I find that unlikely.
Comparisons to Memoirs of a Geisha are inevitable. The mater found that movie and her subsequent perusal of the book to be vastly enjoyable. This movie didn’t really pique her interest to have a go at the source material. That’s due to the fact that most of the elements that added to the pleasure of the book have been omitted here.
Many of the important characters are given little screen time. The mothers of both girls, their catty mothers-in-law and the matchmaker form a little society of women that keep driving the girls up the wall and pushing them closer, seeking unconditional trust and companionship in each other. All these people are reduced to walk-on appearances in the movie.
The little pleasures each girl derives from the other's company, their annual visit to the temple and fair, Snow Flower’s training in household chores, Lily’s awe of Snow Flower, her horror at the pathetic circumstances that her friend is reduced to and her subsequent rejection of Snow Flower, Lily's inability to derive love and comfort from her gentle husband in stark contrast to Snow Flower's devotion to her brutish spouse, their awful experiences while exiled in the mountains during the rebellion and Snow Flower’s gradual decline into depression on the death of her son are all glossed over when truly, these elements formed the backbone of the story.
Instead we are treated to numerous close ups of the leads staring pensively into space as generic music plays in the background. Three writers have been credited with the screenplay – is this heavily condensed version the best they could come up with for a movie adaptation? It plays like an extended slideshow.
Li Bingbing looks a little old to play Lily/Nina in the characters’ younger years. She has to steer the movie and puts up a good show while playing the long-suffering girl who must look out for her friend.
Gianna Jun is wet-eyed and demure as the tragic Snow Flower but annoying and self-absorbed as Sophia.
Hugh Jackman has an unnecessary cameo as Arthur. If you can be satisfied with that sort of thing, he sings in English and Chinese and looks handsome in a suit.
My opinion of this movie may be colored due to already having read the book. A friend who judged the movie on its own merits, found it appealing. It is possible that the filmmakers wanted this movie to appeal to both Western and Chinese audiences; hence the dual track. So go ahead and have your own take on this.
Watch for exotic elements and a nice story about friendship and sacrifice.
But read the book for a better experience.
