Movie Adaptations: Red Cliff

By Jeannie Lin

I went to watch the US release of John Woo's Red Cliff in the theatres with my little sister. During one breathtaking battle, the film goes to ultra-dramatic slow motion as a spear flies through the air. The general leaps, his hand closes around around spear. He lands and proceeds to knock out an entire battalion single-handedly.


"Right." I hear my sister mutter beside me.

I look at her. We giggle.

Having grown up with Asian cinema, we're accustomed to the melodrama and the over-the-top heroism in "historical" movies, but even this seemed a bit much. I later remarked about the outlandish portrayal of these supermen to someone who had read the entirety of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. She actually set me straight. These generals and soldiers were portrayed as superhuman in the written version as well. This wasn't just movie-making, Matrix-loving action.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is considered one of the four classical novels of Chinese literature. The historical novel was written in the 14th century by Luo Guanzhong and revolves around the historical events at the end of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) which ushered in the Three Kingdoms period. During this period, three rival states: Wei, Wu, and Shu--represented by a cast of generals and warlords--fought for control of the Han empire.

The novel is considered a work of fiction, however it relied on historical events depicted in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, which is considered the official account as documented by historian Chen Shou in the 3rd century. Chen Shou's history is considered to be the more authentic one as it was chronicled within the same century. However, Chen Shou was assigned to document the events by the Kingdom of Wei after the kingdoms of Wu and Shu had fallen. Thus within this early chronicle, the Wei rulers were held up as emperors, while the leaders of Wu and Shu were undermined and referred to as lords or simply by name. By the time the story was retold in the 14th century, the generals and strategists of the Wu and Shu kingdoms emerge as heroes. From the beginning, the retelling of these events were a mix of fact, legend, and propaganda.

With over a thousand years of documented history, something that Chinese historians knew very well was that history was malleable; it could be changed and repackaged with each subsequent era. It was quite common for Chinese emperors to commission new historical records of previous eras and essentially rewrite history. The character of the warlord Cao Cao is depicted as a villain who is blind-sided by ambition in the movie version of Red Cliff. Throughout history, Cao Cao is either depicted as a cruel tyrant or military genius, depending on the historian.

The addition of popular culture adds another angle. Several critics of the John Woo movie have pointed out that in previous versions, including the historical records, the strategist Zhuge Liang of Wei (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) emerges as the greater figure. Zhuge Liang is depicted in the picture the the right with his signature fan. However in the movie, military general Zhou Yu of the Wu kingdom (played by Tony Leung--depicted in foreground in poster) seems to come out on top. Perhaps this was due to Tony Leung's greater "star power"?

So it seems that in ancient Chinese historical re-tellings as well as modern ones, the figures are turned into legends, alternatively talked up or undermined, and ultimately modified for the benefit of the story. The movie adaptation of Red Cliff in this context becomes the next step in this common and ancient tradition of historical storytelling.

Jeannie Lin writes sweeping historical romances set in Tang Dynasty China, featuring sword play, politics, and, above all, honor. Her Golden Heart award winning debut, BUTTERFLY SWORDS, and the linked short story "THE TAMING OF MEI LIN" are currently available from Harlequin Historical.

Women Did It Better: The Mosuo Tribe of China

By Jeannie Lin

In Greek tradition, the Amazons were a tribe of warrior women who were known to be as fierce as any man. In China, however, the Kingdom of Women is a much more peaceful society. The Mosuo tribe is one of the many ethnic minorities of China and also one of the matriarchal societies that continues to exist to this day.

The Mosuo live in the Lugu Lake region in the southern part of China between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Their matriarchal tradition goes back over two thousand years.

The society is organized by family into households which are lead by a matriarch. Couples engage in what are called "walking marriages," which are relationships held together only by a mutual affection and not other vows or bonds.

The woman holds the power in the walking marriage as her lover is expected to visit her in her own home by going to her private bed chamber. He is then expected to leave early the next morning. She can terminate the relationship by simply leaving the door closed. Also if there are any children from the union, they belong to the woman's family. However, it's quite common for a couple to fall in love in which case, a woman will see only her one partner. The bond is one of choice rather than law.

Men in this society continue to live in their mother's or the matriarch of the family's home. He cannot claim any of the material wealth of his children as they belong to their mother's family just as he does to his. In old age, men are taken care of by the children of their sister--not his own children.

Isolated around Lugu Lake, the Mosuo have been able to preserve their culture which is reportedly free of issues of prostitution or rape. There is no strife caused by divorce or infidelity as women can end the walking marriages at any time.

An interesting documentary titled The Kingdom of Women was filmed about the way of life of the Mosuo and how the culture is changing in modern times.

Tragic Tales: The Lovesick Maidens of Hangzhou

By Jeannie Lin

I first learned of the lovesick maidens of Hangzhou when reading Lisa See's Peony in Love, a hauntingly imaginative ghost story in which three women find their voice through the interpretation of the famous Ming Dynasty opera, The Peony Pavilion.

Written by poet Tang Xianzu(1550-1616) in the late 16th century, The Peony Pavilion is known for its nuanced lyrics and use of symbolism and metaphor. It is often compared to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in terms of the shared theme of dying for love and also in terms of its literary and social influence. Young women were known to become obsessed with The Peony Pavilion, so much so that they wasted away and died of lovesickness, captivated by the mere idea of romantic love so strong that it transcended life and death.

The most amazing part of Lisa See's tale was the historical basis. A subset of these afflicted ladies, termed the lovesick maidens of Hangzhou, composed beautiful poetry influenced by the ideals of romantic love in the opera. Such a phenomenon is significant when we consider that this was a small literary movement that budded during a time known for footbinding and the subordination of women.

The heroines of Peony in Love were based on three women who together wrote The Three Wives Commentary, published 1694, about The Peony Pavilion. The commentary was one of the first works of literary criticism written and published by women as it was funded by the last of the wives.

Hangzhou is known for its romantic tradition of which these lovesick maidens were a part. The history of the maidens can be found in discussions regarding the literary significance of the Three Wives Commentary. In Teachers of the Inner Chambers: Women and Culture in 17th Century China, Dorothy Ko remarks on how the popularity of The Peony Pavilion among women reached "legendary proportions." But these women were more than swooning fans. The play provided a "common vocabulary" and discourse among women.

Many of these poets died before their words became known--this was definitely the case of two of the three wives--the idea of romantic love captivating young women so completely that they wasted away in contemplation of it, is poetically tragic.

These women wrote. They wrote and discussed romance in a literary and social context and wasted away because their ideas of love consumed them. Perhaps some connection could be made to Virginia Woolf's parable of Shakespeare's exceptionally gifted sister in A Room of One's Own. A woman, with the fire of poetry in her, living in a time and place with no possible outlet to exercise her creativity; would meet only frustration and ruin, would wither away, would die with her genius unsung.

Footnote: Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu were contemporaries, both writing plays on opposite sides of the world. Romeo and Juliet was first published in 1597. The Peony Pavilion was first performed in 1598.

Arts and Music: Chinese Calligraphy

By Jeannie Lin

How do you express yourself when there are very specific rules? That's the crux of Chinese calligraphy--a limited set of brushstrokes, with an infinite number of ways they can be expressed. The art of calligraphy, called shu, is one of the four principal disciplines in Chinese culture along with painting, music, and strategy games.

The order of the strokes is important when drawing Chinese characters, so a student must not only learn what a character looks like, but also the proper way to write it.

There are seven basic brush strokes though up to 32 total strokes have been categorized. Calligraphy experts also study and classify different styles of calligraphy. Here are examples of two different styles of calligraphy from the same artist.

Calligraphy is considered to be the art form that is most revealing of character. Swordsmen, scholars, and statesmen were all expected to study calligraphy and, through it, learn both discipline and expression. Master calligraphers receive the same recognition an artist such as Da Vinci receives in Western culture.

Rubbing of a work of master calligrapher Ouyang Xun (557-641) from the Tang Dynasty
It's said that the appearance of the writing can be appreciated the way you can appreciate abstract art. Without understanding what the characters mean, the audience should still be able to sense the energy and spirit behind the technique. Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse declared that their work was influenced by the art of calligraphy. Perhaps by the concept of capturing the essence of an idea in a few lines and shapes?

Can you see any connection?
When the shape and style of the words themselves are such a beautiful art form, it's no wonder that Chinese poetry and literature contains such rich symbolism!