Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Lee Eisenberg Until seeing Mabel Cheung's "Song jia huang chao" ("The Soong Sisters" in English), I had never even heard of the Soong sisters. The movie does a really good job focusing on their childhood leading to the establishment of the Republic of China, and then the sisters' associations with important figures in China's history. Ching-ling (Maggie Cheung) married Sun Yat-sen, May-ling (Vivian Wu) married Chiang Kai-shek, and Ai-ling (Michelle Yeoh) married H. H. Kung, although his role is minimized. Large portions of the movie seem to be about the visuals, as we see the elegant setting in which the sisters grew up.The film came out the same year that Hong Kong got returned to China, so it might have had the aim of getting the two off to a good start. Of course, they had to include lines very favorable to the PRC, namely: "Before, we were slaves of old China. Now, we are slaves of slaves of old China." Overall, this one could appropriately accompany a showing of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun". I certainly recommend it. Also starring Winston Chao, Hsing-kuo Wu, Zhenhua Niu, Elaine Jin and Wen Jiang.

skyhouse5 It is interesting, and logical of course, that the reaction to this Hong Kong flick ranges from anathema to anthem, but, for overseas Chinese who neither speak the lingo nor are too familiar with the facts, this "Soong Dynasty" cinematic fable is more than watchable. That it is more fable than fact is readily obvious, yet the fable is more than entertaining. It is doubtful in the extreme, that Ching-ling survived miscarriage and 42 days sloshing through the marshes as portrayed, but until a more sober and satisfactory account of Mme. Sun's life and accomplishments are on the film record, this portrait will have to do. The production is super, even if the glib pictorials may off-put in their slick projections. And, finally, from this perch, one of the most engaging sidelights here is the wondrous staging of the opera house, wherein Chiang Kai-shek ogles and woos May-ling. I found myself wishing the principals would get out of the way to let the opera speak for itself in toto. Reminded me of how Hollywood always cut away from more interesting spectacle to zoom in on the treacly romance of the overpaid and under-talented "stars." Oh, well, you can't have everything, and there was enough of the opera and its stellar performers, inter-cut nicely with war footage. Soneone should make a film about Chinese opera, and I don't mean that saga about the two star=crossed Peking Opera stars, and especially not that impossible restaging of that improbable romance between a French diplomat and a cross-dressing starlet.

undanceable One should not use the word "entertaining" to describe this movie. I watched the movie with unspeakable emotions. It is only when one can feel the awe at how the fate of the Soong sister was intertwined with the fate of modern China, that one can really appreciate the movie. It is my personal observation that the Soong sisters are also the 3 major representatives of the Chinese people today, but if only they could work together like the Soong sisters...In terms of performance, the earlier part of the movie is spoiled by the horrid acting of Winston Chao. For the great father who liberated modern China from the rotten feudalism of the Qing dynasty, wasn't the producer obliged to find a more compelling actor for the role?

genghizkhan66 9* out of 10This stunning non-fiction epic is filled with cinematic splendour. Base on accounts of the social upheavals in various points and eras in Chinese history, it is filled with gorgeous cinematography, great score by Kitaro and great cast. Historically accurate if not, a few minor point may be incorrect, but as a whole, it shows you the big picture.With some of the best stars there is from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Maggie Cheung, Michelle Khan and Vivian Wu portrayal as the three sister are excellent. But the most powerful in performance are from the men. Jiang Wen (outspoken Charlie Soong) also a favourite actor of mine, Winston Chou (charismatic Sun Yatsen) and Kuo Chiuwu (commanding Chiang Kaishek) are powerful and haunting.Despite an 18 minute footage cut from the original, still its a great direction from Mabel Cheung. As a loyal fan of great movies from China, in likes of directors Yimou, Kaige, XieFei and HePing, Soong Sisters to me will be one of my personal favourite masterpiece, one of the few from Hong Kong.Genghiz