|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
a+chinese+odyssey | Year: 1996 Directed: - Jeffrey Lau The Spirit of "Journey to the West" Lives On A Chinese Odyssey Part I (Pandora's Box)/Part II (Cinderella) is loosely based on excerpts of Wu Cheng En's "Journey to the West" written in latter half of 1500 A.D., a work depicting the journey of the monk, Xuan Zang (or Tripitaka), to India to bring back Buddhist sutras to China circa mid 600 A.D. Although some of Wu's contents had been adapted for film and many of these excerpts are well known to the Chinese speaking public, it is still a rarity to find someone that had actually read the unabridged book from cover to cover (100 chapters, approximate 800-900 pages), whether in the original Chinese or foreign translation. I for one, an American born Chinese, may be one of those rarities that read it in the 1500's version Chinese rendering. Yes, it is a work that historians today consider a serious study of Chinese culture, but Wu never envisioned this to be so. In fact, he produced the work to earn a living and at the same time, have some fun at it. Since he was not a learned Buddhist or Taoist scholar, his work only depicted the common man's view of Buddhism and Taoism in its day with its accompanying inaccuracies and some satirizing on his part. Previous to these writings, there were existing scholarly accounts as well as common tales of Xuan Zang's journeys, but Wu's work became the most popular since its inception. Now to really appreciate A Chinese Odyssey Part I (Pandora's Box)/Part II (Cinderella), I believe reading the unabridged "Journey to the West" to be helpful. Did you find the film a convoluted mess? Did you find the humor inane and ridiculous? Yes, believe it or not, you may find some vague parallels to Wu's work. Wu was a little "over the top" for his day. The true Xuan Zang was a man of courage, determination and learning. Before he set foot on his journey, he had already studied several foreign languages. Also during the time, it was a capital offense to travel outside of Tang dynasty China. Therefore, it was against great odds that the monk was able to make the treacherous lone journey along the Silk Road to and from India, then return 15 or 16 years later, knowing the emperor may have his head. So what do we have here in Wu's "Journey to the West"? Wu depicts the monk as a mildly comical character, often cowering for fear of being eaten by demons and outsmarted every now and then by the rambunctious Monkey King. And the dialogue? The book even depicts the Goddess of Mercy using some crude language when she refers to his disciples. Very few of the characters are depicted in noble light. Even much of the poetry in the book is "overdone". When the author names some birds or aquatic life encountered along the monk's journey, he names every bird or reptile/amphibian he knows, regardless of whether or not they were native to the region. He even writes the India nationals wore Tang Chinese dress. So here lies the "genius" behind A Chinese Odyssey Part Buy A Chinese Odyssey at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on A Chinese Odyssey Search with the Priority Search Engine on A Chinese Odyssey This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
