Treasure Hunt
Chang Ching: Chow Yun-Fat
Mei: Ng Sin-Lin (Jacqueline Wu Chien-Lien)
Tong Ling/Capt. Chiu: Chin Han
Abbot Hung-Chi: Gordon Liu (Lau Ka Fai)
director: Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai
cinematography: Peter Pau
art direction: Yee Chung Man and Yau Wai Ming
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0110071
other links: movie poster image
other links: lobby card set
Version reviewed: DVD
Ratings:
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DVD Audio: 9 of 10
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DVD Video: 9 of 10
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Subtitles: 7 of 10
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Story: 9 of 10
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Performances: 10 of 10
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CYF: 10 of 10
Once upon a time there was a handsome prince named Chang Ching.
In the service of a foreign kingdom, Chang Ching performed many
brave deeds but inside he felt empty, as if there was no glory
to his heroics. Surrounded by the most beautiful women of the
kingdom, he was still lonely. Chang Ching carried with him a
wedding ring which would fit the woman of his dreams, but the
ring refused to be forced onto the finger of any of the ladies
of the foreign land, and Chang Ching was discontent.
One day an agent of the foreign ruler asked Chang Ching to return
to his homeland and take from it a great treasure and return with
it, to prove his fealty to Chang's new home. At first unwilling
to steal a precious object from his own homeland, Chang finally
admitted that he had sworn allegiance to a new ruler and that he
could do little but obey. Packing his belongings into a leather bag,
Chang Ching set out on the long journey back to his homeland.
Upon his arrival he met with the man Tong Ling; Chang Ching had
been gone for such a long time that he had forgotten what he had
known about his homeland, and Tong Ling opened his eyes again to
the beauty of the countryside and the simple joys of the people
living there. At first amused to be back amongst such homely
peasants, Chang Ching began to wonder if perhaps the veneer of
sophistication with which he had covered himself while living in
a distant land had interfered with his vision. Even so, it was
difficult for the worldly Chang Ching to readjust to life as it
was lived in the traditional way and it caused him some consternation
at first - as well as agitated a few of the natives.
Tong Ling had chosen to lodge Chang Ching in an ancient temple,
high on the side of a snow-covered mountain; here he would be
safe from prying eyes as he prepared to go about the mission of
finding and "recovering" the national treasure he was there to
steal. Beautiful and serene in its snowy solitude, the inhabitants of the
temple were
monks devoted to religious service with one exception: a spare
young woman, said to be suffering from an illness of the mind, who
was kept locked in a simple cell in a lonely wing of the temple.
Chang Ching was intrigued; having seen her for only an instant with
her face in shadow, she had touched his wrist and his heart had
begun to race. Chang Ching, who had known many women in his
wide travels, was taken aback. How could a such a girl cause such
a reaction with just the faintest touch of her hand?
Alone in his room on the evening of his arrival, Chang Ching looked
out the window at the falling snow. The sky was a ghostly blue as
it arched over a winter-barren courtyard down below. Through the
snowy evening he heard the sound of sobbing, and winding his way
through the temple passages he came out into the courtyard and
saw a light in a high window; climbing a tree he peered into the
window and saw the silhouette of the young girl who had so upset his
equilibrium earlier that day. It was she who was crying.
"Why are you crying? Are you sad?" Chang Ching asked the girl,
as he sat down on a tree limb outside her window.
"I don't know," she replied, her sobs coming faster than ever. "Maybe
it's because it's snowing."
"Crazy!" Chang Ching muttered to himself, but to her he offered to
sing her a song to cheer her. Though she begged him not to do so (probably
suspecting that his singing wasn't very good), he began to do so nonetheless
and promptly fell from the tree. Rushing to the window the girl looked
down at Chang Ching, and Chang Ching looked up at the girl, and from
that moment on he knew that he had returned to his homeland to fulfill
a quest, but not in the service of his foreign master. His quest lay
in the gaze of the slight young woman who now looked down upon him
and smiled.
Treasure Hunt is a modern fairy tale, set in the present-day
US and mainland China. The hero of the story is Chang Ching, a CIA
operative who is commanded to return to his native China and "recover"
a Chinese national treasure for the US Government. The treasure turns out
to be Mei, a
young girl with paranormal powers who is the center of politicial
intrigue and greed, hidden in the famed Shaolin Temple from those
who would seek to exploit her. When Chang Ching falls in love with the innocent
young woman, he is called upon to make sacrifices, fight monsters and
perform brave deeds to win the hand of his lady-love. As it happens,
the sacrifices are of his arrogance and selfishness, the monsters are
corrupt men and his brave deeds include leaving behind his entire
former life as a CIA operative, and enduring a long separation
from his beloved and waiting for her return, even if it lasts a lifetime.
Beautifully photographed by Peter Pau, the entire film has a warm,
golden glow to it. The stark beauty of the Chinese countryside in
winter is a breathtaking backdrop to the gentle humor and romance
of the story, as well as the exciting action scenes toward the
end of the film. Like all fairy tales this one has its share of
bitterness and violence which only serve to make the overall sweetness
all the more poignant. The direction of Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai
is never too slow, even when showing us serene shots of the falling
snow or the wind in the trees he manages to make the images progress
the storyline. The fantasy sequences involving Mei's paranormal
powers are done with restraint, giving just enough to the viewer's
imagination to allow it to run wild. The underlying feelings of
optimism and joy are never submerged by the bad things which
inevitably happen to good people; a number of stereotypes, including
the quintessential American Chang Ching, take a gentle ribbing but
never at the expense of the dignity or essential goodness of the
characters.
Enhanced by the outstanding cinematography are the performances of
the main cast; Chow Yun-Fat as Chang Ching is warm and alive and
we watch him grow from a somewhat fatuous man into a true hero; Ng
Sin-Lin as Mei gives us a young woman in love for the first time,
fearful but joyous all the same; Gordon Liu as the Buddhist abbot
who goes astray out of love for his master gives us a wonderful show
of his famous kung-fu as well. Philip Kwok, the renowned stunt coordinator
and actor, has a terrific role as a crabby cabbie who has his foibles
but also a kind heart underneath his rascally exterior.
There are quite a few in-jokes and such, but you'll enjoy the film whether
or not you pick up on the pointers to past CYF films or his personal trivia. An
important feature of the film are the many references to the novel
Shanghai Tan, the book on which the famed television series The
Bund was based. CYF's role as Hui Man-keung in The Bund was the one which
catapulted him to superstardom all over Asia; the woman with whom Man-keung
is hopelessly in love is Fung Ching Ching - hence the references to Mei as "Ching Ching".
The scene in which Mei asks Ching if he has read Shanghai Tan, and Ching
replies that it's just kid stuff, takes on a melancholy sweetness when
one considers that Treasure Hunt was made almost 15 years after
The Bund. The inclusion of musical themes from the series only heighten
the effect, and mesh perfectly with this new story being told.
The trailer for this film is grossly misleading, not only does it emphasize
the action (almost to the exclusion of everything else) but it includes a
number of scenes which did not make the final edit of the film.
If you find
the trailer perfectly appealing, you may be disappointed in the end result of
Treasure Hunt as the action sequences, while brilliantly staged by
Philip Kwok and acted by the cast, are far from the main point of the film. Likewise
if you are expecting a Disney-style romance free of any but the most
simplistic complications, you will also be disappointed. This fairy tale
has its share of blood and death. Chang Ching is ready to kill without mercy
to save the one he loves.
The bittersweet ending, which is never made clear whether it is real or
a dream, is so marvelously photographed that the visuals actually come close
to overwhelming the story. The clarity of the swirling steam from the train as
it envelopes the setting is just an example of the overall quality of
the production. Happily, the direction, art direction, acting and music
are all of a similar degree of excellence.
If you decide to rent or purchase this film, be aware there are bootleg
versions which are of extremely poor audio and video quality with subtitles
which wander off the screen and other experience-ruining traits. This
film is now in widespread re-release and is available on DVD at major
North American and Hong Kong retailers; be sure you get a legitimate
copy, as the audio and video on these are sterling.
The director, Jeff Lau, also directed A Chinese Odyssey parts
I and II and has a writing credit on the Jet Li film Fong Sai Yuk
along with the scriptwriter of this film, Gei Nyn. Peter Pau was the
cinematographer on such classics as The Killer, Au Revoir Mon Amour,
The Bride With White Hair and A Chinese Feast. The film music
is by Chung Deng Yat, who also scored A Queer Story, God.com and
My Heart Is That Eternal Rose.
The subtitles on this film start off a bit rough, but even out as
the film goes along. After the opening sequences shot in the United
States, the subtitling is much more even.
While I admire many of Chow Yun-Fat's films in all genres, some are
outstanding efforts in which all of the elements of good filmmaking
come together to make a truly exceptional movie. Treasure Hunt
is one of those efforts, and as such I would recommend it as
one of my Top Five CYF Films.
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