Product Description

Set in 7th century China, Temptation of a Monk stars Joan Chen as a beautiful princess and destructive temptress who wreaks havoc in a young general's life. It tells the epic story of a disgraced man's journey into self-discovery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112865 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-01-14
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: Mandarin Chinese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 118 minutes

Customer Reviews

Another beautiful movie from Sara Law
I really loved this movie. Perhaps it does owe a debt to Kurosawa's 'Ran', but is it a crime for a developing director to emulate the master? Sara Law is a superb director in her own right - she has a faultless eye, a deft wit and produces sensational erotic scenes. I am thankful we can count her as an Aussie and look forward to a great many more beautiful movies from her like 'Temptation of a Monk'.

temptation can be a passive response
Hong Kong director Clara Law's film is based on a novel by Lillian Lee, who also wrote Farewell My Concubine. Set in China's Tang dynasty, it concerns the antagonism between two generals, Shi (Wu Hsin-Kuo) and Huo Da (Zhang Fengyi) who plot to overthrow the Emperor. Shi retreats from the fight when the ascendant heir is killed and seeks refuge in a Buddhist monastery. Law lacks the narrative skill to elucidate the story, relying instead on random set pieces, which occasionally redeem her painfully slow pace. The stylised use of colour and choreography in the opening ceremony and in an extended brothel sequence are very lovely, and she out-Peckinpah's Peckinpah in savage slow-motion massacres. Law has a good eye for composition, favouring the use of wind and smoke in her exteriors, and the burning of a house near the end is very beautiful. The brothel sequence features a transvestite, and the sex scene between Shi and a nun is all the more erotic because their shaved heads give it a particular subtext. Of the actors, Joan Chen manages to connect with the audience, though her screen time is limited, and the abbott monk raises a few laughs.

Captivating
Joan Chen is marvelous in this feature. A delight for both the eyes and the heart. This movie is filled with beautiful sights and sounds, a wonderful script, and superb acting. END