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The Sorcerer and the White Snake

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The Sorcerer and the White Snake
Directed byChing Siu-tung
Screenplay byCharcoal Tan
Tsang Kan-cheung
Szeto Cheuk-hon
Produced byChui Po-chu
Yang Zi
StarringJet Li
Eva Huang
Raymond Lam
Charlene Choi
Wen Zhang
Vivian Hsu
CinematographyVenus Keung
Edited byLam On-yee
Music byMark Lui
Distributed byDistribution Workshop[1]
Release dates
  • 3 September 2011 (2011-09-03) (Venice Film Festival)
  • 29 September 2011 (2011-09-29) (Hong Kong)
Running time
100 mins.
CountriesTemplate:Film Hong Kong
Template:Film China
LanguageMandarin
BudgetHK$200 million[2]

The Sorcerer and the White Snake (simplified Chinese: 白蛇传说之法海; traditional Chinese: 白蛇傳說之法海, known in the United Kingdom as The Emperor) is a 2011 Hong Kong martial arts fantasy film directed by Ching Siu-tung and starring Jet Li. It is a based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake. Production started in September 10, 2010[3] and ended on January 16, 2011.[4] The film will be in 3-D[5] and was shown out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2011.[6] It was released in Hong Kong on 29 September 2011.[7]

It is also known by the titles as It's Love and Madame White Snake.

Plot

The film starts with Abott Fahai with his assistant Neng Ren going to the front door to a snow blizzard. The ice harpy appears at the top of the mountains. Neng Ren starts to get her but the Ice Harpy freezes him. Fahai and the Ice Harpy start to talk then they start to fight each other. At the end of the battle, Fahai traps the Ice Harpy with his demon trapper which unfreezes Neng Ren. Fahai asks his assistant to confine her at Lei Feng Pagoda and the two of them go back to the door which disappears when it closes. Later the films moves to Jin Shan temple, a place where monks pray to Amitabha. At Lei Feng Pagoda, Neng Ren goes upstairs to go to the magic circle where demons are trapped in. He tells the demons that if they make real progress in meditation, they well be released then traps the Ice Harpy in the circle. Then the movie now starts with mountains. One mountain has a waterfall and shows a naga slithering around while another one starts slithering with her. The two start enjoying their life and they look at the other mountains. Later, men who are climbing up the mountain to dig for herbs. The two nagas watch them while still looking for herbs. Qingqing, the green naga starts to give Xu Xian a scare which made him fall down the lake and Qingqing starts laughing. Susu assumes human form and saves Xu Xian. Susu kisses Xu Xian which makes a flow of vital essence. Later, Xu Xian wakes up and tells his friends what happened which only made them laugh. Soon, Fahai and Neng Ren found a victim of the bat demons, that they have to catch them tonight. They ride a boat while talking to Xu Xian. Susu starts thinking about the day she kissed Xu Xian. Their animal companions wonder why she's bothered. She explains that she wants to go to the human world just to see Xu Xian.

She goes to meet Xu Xian, Xu Xian falls in love with a snake. Then they make love. Later she is revealed to be a white snake. That probably shocked him because he made love with a snake. In the end, they get separated for eternity.

Cast

Production

Leading actors Ethan Ruan, Peter Ho, Mark Chao and Raymond Lam fought for the lead role in the film. In the end, Lam got the role. It was reported that Ruan and Chao were dropped as they were deemed to be not well known enough in China and Ho's image did not suit the male lead.[2]

Jet Li was announced to be part of the cast during early pre-production however his role was not revealed until September 2010, when some actors' roles were announced including Jet Li as Fa Hai, Eva Huang as White Snake, Raymond Lam as Xu Xian, Charlene Choi as Green Snake and Wen Zhang, whom Li invited to play his disciple Neng Ren.[8]

Regarding the action scenes, Jet Li said he had never been this exhausted before. Li says,

After fighting the White Snake, fight the Green Snake. After fighting the Green Snake, then fight the Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight another Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight the Water Monster. Everyday on set I was letting out a big sigh.[5]

Raymond Lam said he was always being hit by others,

Especially Ah Sa, she even requested for the director to add fight scenes. As a result, added scenes to hit me! Furthermore she fought much more fiercely than before![5]

Filming wrapped on January 16, 2011. Originally titled Madame White Snake in English, the film logo was unveiled during the production wrap press conference with the new official English title, It's Love.[9] However, the English title was changed to The Sorcerer and the White Snake when the distributor was announced.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Distribution Workshop takes on Jet Li project White Snake".
  2. ^ a b "Raymond Lam to collaborate with Jet Li".
  3. ^ "Tale of the White Snake Began Filming".
  4. ^ "《白蛇传说》杀青 " ITS LOVE"引发脑震荡".
  5. ^ a b c "3D Blockbuster movie starring Jet Li, Eva Huang, Charlene Choi and Raymond Lam breaks its mystery".
  6. ^ "'The Sorcerer and the White Snake' joins Venice's line-up".
  7. ^ "白蛇傳說之法海 The Sorcerer and the White Snake".
  8. ^ "Jet Li Joins Legend of Madam White Snake".
  9. ^ "It's Love - Madame White Snake Production Wrap Press Conference Photos".
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