Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011)

A story set in 19th century China and centered on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women.

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Angela Workman (screenplay), Ronald Bass (screenplay),

Stars:

Russell Wong, Bingbing Li, Gianna Jun

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Russell Wong	...	Bank CEO
Bingbing Li	...	Nina / Lily
Archie Kao	...	Sebastian
Gianna Jun	...	Snow Flower / Sophia
Coco Chiang	...	Anna
Hu Qing Yun	...	Mrs. Liao
Shi Ping Cao	...	Mr. Wei
Ruijia Zhang	...	Mrs. Wei
Vivian Wu	...	Aunt
Zhebing Gong	...	Professor
Lilia Zhou	...	Nurse
Congmeng Guo	...	Little Lily
Danping Shen	...	Lily's Mother
Yan Dai	...	Little Snow Flower
Yulan Xu	...	Snow Flower's Mother

Storyline

In 19th-century China, seven year old girls Snow Flower and Lily are matched as laotong - or "old sames" - bound together for eternity. Isolated by their families, they furtively communicate by taking turns writing in a secret language, nu shu, between the folds of a white silk fan. In a parallel story in present day Shanghai, the laotong's descendants, Nina and Sophia, struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers, complicated love lives, and a relentlessly evolving Shanghai. Drawing on the lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection, hidden from them in the folds of the antique white silk fan, or risk losing one another forever.

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Plot Keywords:

china | fan | parallel time | car hitting pedestrian | female friendship | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, violence/disturbing images and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

China USA

Language:

English Chinese

Release Date:

24 June 2011 (China)

Also Known As:

Der Seidenfächer

Filming Locations:

Hengdian World Studios, Heng Dian, China

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$134,005 (USA) (15 July 2011)

Gross:

$1,346,503 (USA) (23 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDG China Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rupert Murdoch personally asked Fox Searchlight to release this film in North America.

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Goofs

The last paragraphs of the unsent letter that Nina found in Sophias apartment, which can be seen when she closes the notebook, don't match Nina's voice-over.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bank CEO: People say I'm sending Sebastian and Nina to New york so neither will take my job. Hey, perhaps that's partly true. You know, like these butterflies that surround us this evening, it's a time of transformation, new beginnings.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: A Tree with Dutch Elm Disease Grows in Brooklyn (2011)

User Reviews

Staggeringly low rating for such a good film

A film about laotong, the bonding of two women for eternity as kindred sisters, is unusual to say the least and one that is beautifully retold in the manner of so many oriental stories must be a rarity. The reason it works so well is because it is shot at two layers, one in the present day, and the other at a time when women needed each other for support. In fact the retelling of the latter is the result of a book written by Sophia of the life of Snow Flower in the title. In each layer Sophia/Snow Flower is bonded to Nina/Lily. The acting by Gianna Jun (Sophia/Snow Flower) and Bingbing Li as Nina/Lily is extraordinary with sterling support from an excellent cast. The cinematography and soundtrack are also first rate.

In essence the story explores love in many guises via the relationship of the two present day characters and their mirrors of old, but it is only at the conclusion of the film that we are allowed to be inside the minds of the kindred sisters and their relationship. This is not a film that pivots upon romantic love since it delves very deep into the agendas the women have and for that reason alone it may not be a commercial success. That shouldn't detract from its beauty as a work of art but clearly it has had an effect on the film's popularity on IMDb. And that is a shame because it is well worth lasting all of its one hundred and four minutes including the beautiful wash drawings displayed with the final credits.

I don't know how this film manages less than six on the ratings for I feel a little mean in only giving it eight because of the material it explores. It is worthy of a visit to cinema, or even ownership of a DVD. Oriental cinema has made another worthy addition to its growing list of excellent stories turned into film.