War and Beauty
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| War and Beauty (金枝慾孽) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Period Drama |
| Starring | GiGi Lai Maggie Cheung Sheren Tang Charmaine Sheh Bowie Lam Moses Chan |
| Opening theme | "兒女" by Bowie Lam |
| Ending theme | "砒霜" by Bowie Lam & Gigi Lai |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Language(s) | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Television Broadcasts Limited |
| Original run | August 23, 2004 – October 2, 2004 |
War and Beauty (金枝慾孽) was a 30-episode TV series broadcasted in Hong Kong in 2004 by TVB Jade starring GiGi Lai, Maggie Cheung, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan and Rebecca Chan.
Contents |
[edit] Meaning of Title
The meaning behind the title is rather interesting. Phonetically, at least in Cantonese, the title sounds exactly like the Chinese phrase "金枝玉葉" (literally translates to "[A tree with] golden branches and jade leaves"). This is a classical Chinese proverb used to describe aristocratic but unmarried women in feudal Chinese society. The proverb is also used to describe a lady from a privileged or aristocratic background.
The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth ideogramme being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phoentically similar "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".
Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show is pornographic in nature. While the show does deal with the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.
[edit] Cast
[edit] The Royal Harem
| Name | Chinese Name (Pinyin) | Portrayed By | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niuhuru Ru-Yue, the Consort Ru | 鈕祜祿如玥 恭顺皇贵妃(Niu hu lu ru yue gong shun huang gui fei) | Sheren Tang | An initially favored concubine who eventually fell out of favor with the Emperor after losing a power struggle with the Empress. She is also initially known for her rather bullying demeanors. |
| Hougiya Yu-Ying, the Consort Hua | 侯佳玉瑩 华妃 (hou jia yu ying hua fei) | Gigi Lai | Yu-Ying was treated quite badly by her father before entering the palace. Her mother is the fourth (and neglected) concubine of her father. |
| Dongiya Er-Chun, The Imperial Concubine Chun | 董佳爾淳 淳嫔 (Dong jia er chun chun pin) | Charmaine Sheh | A Han Chinese posing as a Manchurian in order to get into the palace and save her adoptive father (who committed treason) from death. |
| Guwalgiya On-Qian, The Imperial Concubine On | 蘇完尼瓜爾佳安茜 安嫔 (Su wan ni gua er jia an qian an pin) | Maggie Cheung | A palace maid who, after knowing that her grandmother was killed by the Empress, actively gained the Emperor's favor to take revenge. |
| Lady Niuhuru, The Empress of the Great Qing | 大清皇后鈕祜祿氏 (Da4 qing huang2 hou4 niu3 hu4 lu4 shi4) | Rebecca Chan | She was initially out of favour, but regained it after winning a power struggle with Ru-Yue. |
| Aisin-Gioro Yong Yan, Jiaqing Emperor | 愛新覺羅顒琰 嘉慶皇帝 (Ai4 xin jue2 luo2 yong2 yan3 jia qing4 huang2 di4) | Yu Yang | The Emperor of China. He plays a very minor role in the series. |
[edit] Other Major Characters
| Name | Chinese Name (Pinyin) | Portrayed By | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Imperial Doctor Sun Baiyang | 太醫孫白颺, (Tai4 yi sun bai2 yang2) | Bowie Lam | A palace doctor who caters to the need of all concubines. He was romantically involved with Yu-Ying, who bore his child and posed it as the Emperor's child. |
| The Imperial Doctor Sun Qinghua | 太醫孫清華, (Tai4 yi sun qing hua2) | Chen Hong Lie | Father of Sun Baiyang. He and his son share a rather cool relationship, with the father disapproving of the son's actions within the Inner Harem of the Palace. |
| Kong-Wu | 孔武, (Kong3 wu3) | Moses Chan | A Palace Guard who gained the favor of the Emperor after saving his life. Was responsible for the safety of Er-Chun and Yu-Ying on their way to Beijing. |
| Chen Shuang | 陳爽, (Chen2 shuang3) | Wai Kar Hung | Fraternal brother of Kung-Wu. He was expelled from the Palace after he was caught stealing, and was discovered to have joined the rebel forces at the end of the series when they attacked the Palace. Dies at the end of the series defending his fraternal brother. |
| Xu Wan Tian | 徐萬田 (Xu2 wan4 tian2) | Lo Hai Pang | He is the master behind a plot to train Er-Chun to become a formidable, beautiful woman and send her into the Palace to actively gain the favour of the Emperor for the sake of his own life. He is murdered by his wife near the end of the series. |
[edit] Synopsis
This show was set in the Forbidden City, in Qing Dynasty China in the late years of Emperor Jiaqing's rule. It focused on the power struggle between various Royal concubines trying to secure the Emperor's favor, with corruption, intrigue and outright deceit being the weapons of choice. These women were willing to manipulate, betray and even kill just about anyone in order to get what they wanted.
Throughout the later parts of the series, the inevitable results of this corruption become increasingly apparent. The main characters start to lose everything they care for, while being forced to conclude that they have only themselves to blame. In the meantime, corruption takes its toll on the outside world as well: the entire empire is destabilizing.
But none of that is a deterrent to the scheming women. On the contrary: even when the rebels make their way into the Forbidden City, the manipulators' first thoughts are as to how this situation may be used to their advantage. In the end, corruption itself is the only clear winner and many of those involved die or are forced to flee the City forever.
[edit] Ending of Main Characters
At the end of the series, many things come to a head. As the corruption of Qing Politics became all the more prevalent, the people of the country organize an armed rebellion. The rebellion was led by Kong-Wu's fraternal brother, Chen Shuang, who felt wronged during his time in the Palace and is seeking revenge. The rebel invasion of the Palace opened up some interesting opportunities, especially for the Empress, who tried to kill off her opposition and blame it on the rebels.
Sun Baiyang made an attempt to use the situation to escape with Er-Chun and Yu-Ying. However, Yu-Ying was unwilling to go with them, and Sun Baiyang made Kong-Wu promise that he will take Er-Chun out of the Forbidden Palace. After dealing with that, Sun Baiyang went to Yu-Ying residence to confront her. However the Empress was already aware of their affair, and while the two were in Yu-Ying's residence, the Empress' guards boarded up the entrances and set it on fire, causing both to be burned alive. Sun Baiyang's father, Sun Qinghwa, found out about his son's death when a raven carried his son's jade band and dropped it right in front of him as he waited for his son in the wilderness.
On-Qian, whose plan to exact revenge on the Empress for her grandmother's death was scuppered, hatched plans to leave the Palace with Kong-Wu and Er-Chun, who had lost all will to live in the Palace after her adoptive father, Xu Wan Tian, died. At the same time, The Consort Ru (Ru-Yue) was also invited to leave by the trio, but she refused to because she entered the Palace at the age of 16, and was unaccustomed to normal civilian life. Having survived an attack by several guards dressed up as rebels and having realized the true fate of Sun Baiyang and Yu-Ying, she went on to confront the Empress directly in her residence and appeared to regain her superior political position.
All was not over for the ones who successfully left. As the trio left the palace, On-Qian was shot by a stray arrow, the wound from which she would die of soon afterwards. Both sadly and romantically fitting, she died on Kong-Wu's shoulder while escaping in a horse cart. In the end, only Kong-Wu and Er-Chun successfully left the palace and, as hinted by the film, started a new life.
[edit] Memorable Quotes
"There will never be friends inside the Forbidden City, only treachery and trickery."
Consort Ru's Poem on the Handkerchief:
不愛宮牆柳
祇被前緣誤
花開花落自有時
總賴東君主
要走慶幸你心中有愛
要留只怪我心中仍然恨
如今就只好靠你
去償我們這個海闊天空的心願
珍重
[edit] Popularity and Criticism
This drama was very popular, almost unexpectedly so. Amongst Hong Kong's office workers, the feuding and shifting alliances of the Imperial women, with greater issues being sacrificed for personal piques and gains was taken as a metaphor for the office politics familiar to many. The exploits of their characters were followed in minute detail in online forums, with each betrayal or stab in the back leading to flaming, denunciations, accusations and denials amongst the rival factions. It created a high rating just below War of the Genders.
The show was not without its critics. Many sociologists, psychologists, and academics have criticized the show as promoting hatred and backstabbing as a "natural" matter in society, and fears that the drama will twist the youth's perception of social relationships in general. However, many ordinary citizens simply believe the show was a reflection of the real world.
When one such psychologist was asked about his views concerning the series, he stated "I think we must remind ourselves that even if the intentions of this [War and Beauty] are represented as merely fictitious harm, we should still focus on this harm non-the less, especially when its in respect to our youth"
However the creators and fans alike strongly deny such existence of 'harm', and that there is no sort of subliminal connotations behind the series.
[edit] Awards
Three of the actresses playing the concubines, GiGi Lai, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, were nominated as three of the five finalists for TVB Anniversary Awards' My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role, with GiGi Lai winning.
My Favourite Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bowie Lam for his role as a Chinese medical doctor/official in the show.
[edit] Home Video
War and Beauty was released on DVD and VCD a few months after its finale, and was a bestseller. It also became the first TVB drama to receive a DVD release, albeit a limited one. The DVD box was made of shiny gold cloth, with the drama's title woven on it with gold thread.
