Painted Skin: The Resurrection 3D 2012

MESMERISING!

RexH Flicks Superstar (?)

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The plot could have been a little more coherent, which is why I give it 4, not 5 stars, but the plot's not the thing, here. This is the second Chinese 3D movie I've seen and it's a stunner. Surreal, almost hallucinogenic in parts, it's like watching a poem unfold visually or a dream brought to life. I was reminded of Fellini's "Satyricon" and silent films by the likes of Carl Dreyer as well as other Chinese epics like the "Bride with White Hair". The action was sparing but intense when it occurred, pretty much what we've come to expect from Chinese epics. This film swops lush bamboo landscapes and autumnal forests for harsh grey deserts and wintery vistas. There's a feral feel to parts of it, a taste of ancient barbarism that no amount of lavish courtly trappings can conceal. At heart it's a love story and a tragedy. The lovers do get each other in the end but it comes at a high price. There were several flashback sequences I thought could either have been left out or done better, but they're only minor blips on an otherwise engrossing film. I was surprised how easily I slipped into its embrace. Will definitely try to see it again. These guys should have made Conan the Barbarian - it would have really rocked!