The Movie
In traditional Chinese culture, women can enter into a special, arranged friendship that transcends texting and makeovers and trips to the mall, based instead upon a "deep-hearted love," a committed sisterhood to one another. This bond comes with its own secret language, nu shu, for privileged missives.
Two teen chums, Nina and Sophia, embark upon such a journey, facing together life's unexpected twists and hardships, with unconditional, unflinching support. But recently, now well into adulthood, they fight suddenly with harsh words that drive them apart, until an unfortunate accident reunites them.
Only then does Nina have the opportunity to read Sophia's book manuscript, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Set in 1829, when it was really tough to be a Chinese woman, this fictional story of Lily and Snow Flower--communicating back and forth via messages inscribed on the folds of a fan--parallels that of the modern-day sisters, with similar adversities and hard-won lessons.
In his adaptation of Lisa See's book, director Wayne Wang cleverly casts the same two actresses as both Nina & Sophia and Lily & Snow Flower, adding an almost epic resonance as we shift from the 1800s to 1997 to 2010. It's a touching look at how much--and how little--women's roles have changed.
The Picture
This is a gorgeous movie, as the tiniest imperfections in the texture of paper, the specificity of focus within a single 2.35:1 frame, the embroidery, the pores and wrinkles all really pop. In one scene a character casually lays down a page of a manuscript and we can plainly read it. Colors too are simply lovely. The movie was shot on digital video, with that telltale harshness to the brights and definite streaking, particularly during the scenes of Shanghai at night. But the high bitrate AVC presentation, often at or near the coveted 40-megabit-per-second mark, assures ample detail, even through the urban haze.
The Sound
Effects are well-mixed into the rears of this English/Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, more subtle than a lot of recent movies but quite realistic, as a radio plays off-screen or big construction equipment works in the background or we visit one of several different nightclubs. The embrace of Rachel Portman's emotive musical score also greatly enhances the experience.
The Extras
The disc offers only one real bonus feature but it's a good one, a 29-minute documentary (in HD) that pulls together the stars, director, producers and author Lisa See for a thorough discussion of the movie and the broader topic at hand. There's a trailer, and a "How to" video for Digital Copy... but this disc contains no Digital Copy.
Final Thoughts
Being neither Chinese nor a woman, I didn't take away from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan as much as some others could, but it is an intriguing glimpse of a very different culture, beautifully crafted and well-suited for Blu-ray.
Product Details
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