| When I first heard of this film, I thought I was going to see Li Ching in a prosthetic mermaid fin suit with a clamshell bikini top...no siree Bob! Ivy Ling Po once again "plays a man".
Li Ching plays a self-centered, cold hearted daughter of a prime minister and a warm, empathic "carp spirit" in The Mermaid. This is a cute film from the Huangmei(Yellow Plum)opera film genre. In the late 1960's, this genre fell out of favor with the public and vanished! It's like a Hollywood musical...except that there's no dance numbers.
There's a goofy, almost bloodless battle scene at the end. It looks more like Chinese opera than a Chang Cheh directed movie. | JZ85
10/5/2008 1:28 AM |
