Madam White Snake is a famous Chinese classical legend, which will remind the western viewer of the Lamia theme of John Keats’ poem. For this story tells of two snakes, one white and one green, which assumed human form during the days of the Mongol invasion of China, when the capital was removed to beautiful Hangchow. The snakes, now two beautiful women who take the names of Pak Su-cheng (Linda Lin Dai) and Ching-ching (Margaret Tu Chuan), arrive in Hangchow. Pak Su-cheng encounters a young man Hsu Hsien (Chao Lei) who, in a former life, had saved her life when she was a snake a thousand years ago. She recognises him and decides to reward him now by marrying him, with the aid of Ching-ching, acting as matchmaker. Of course, in this fay world of spirits, charms and magic, there are all sorts of difficulties, not the least being that of the beauties to conceal their real serpent identity. But when dangers threaten the happiness of the mortals and the spirits, the latter draw upon their supernatural powers, and eventually win out, but in a far happier world than this.
Chinese / English Subtitles
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