The Enchanting Shadow (Qiannü Youhun)

(Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles)

Directors: Li Hanxiang
Starring: Betty Le Di, Chao Lei
Hong Kong 1960, color, 90 min.

FILM DESCRIPTION:

This classic ghost story begins with a tired traveler, unable to find lodging for the night, who enters an abandoned temple despite the warnings of the local folk.

At first, all he finds is a gruff swordsman and a beautiful young woman, but the otherworldly atmosphere remains unsettling all the same. Things turn darker once our traveler meets the young woman’s grandmother.

The same story later formed the basis of 1987’s A Chinese Ghost Story, with (of course) much more-advanced special effects. However, Li Hanxiang’s mastery of mood and mise en scène is here deployed to maximum effect.

WHEN:       June 1, 2008, Sunday, 9:30 pm

WHERE:     Harvard Film Archive

Carpenter Center

24 Quincy St.

         Cambridge, Mass. 02138

SEE COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF ALL FILMS IN THIS SERIES: hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2008mayjune/shaw.html#five [1]
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