Plot: What’s it about?
The year is 1936 and in China, a troupe of stage performers have pretty much reached the ends of their careers. The troupe has no resources and little of anything, but they do have talent and ambition, which has kept them afloat until this time. In order to perform another production, the band of workers needs a platform to perform on, which they just might have found. The sole possibility for their production is an old burned out theater with a past, a dark past to be frank. One of China’s finest actors of all time, Song Danping was killed there and as such, it has some stories about strange events and what not. So the troupe takes up residence within the burned out establishment and begins to prepare for their performances, when one of the actors, Wei Qing (Huang Lee) starts to see some unusual visions and the like. It seems like these visions could guide the struggling troupe to success, but could it be part of the vengeance of those who perished there instead?
I was looking forward to seeing this film released, but when Tai Seng announced a two disc edition, I was overwhelmed. As such, I was thrilled when this release arrived and gave it a spin right away, to soak up all the goodness. The Phantom Lover is a gorgeous movie from start to finish, from the cinematography to the production design, that’s to be sure. But critics claim the film lacks in depth characters and story elements, which lessens the experience. I have to agree with the critics, as this is not the flick to watch for writing, but it is a visual feast and this case, the visuals are good enough to make it worthwhile. I wouldn’t call this “style over substance” however, as there is a decent story and well drawn characters, but you can tell the focus is on the visual appearance, which works very well for The Phantom Lover. Ronnie Yu’s direction is dead on mark and really helps bring all the elements together, which is always a desired issue, of course. In the end, The Phantom Lover is a terrific film that is short on storyline/characters, but more than compensates with almost haunting visuals. I give this movie a very high recommendation and with such a terrific package from Tai Seng, this is pretty close to a must own edition.
At the helm of this romantic fantasy is Ronny Yu, who is known for his visual spark and more than solid overall direction. Although most of his career has been in Hong Kong cinema, Yu has done work in the U.S. also, though not much. His film always have a very memorable visual presence, usually due in part to cinematographer Peter Pau, who he often teams with. So even though I haven’t liked all of his efforts, I’ve always been taken in by the visuals, which is sometimes enough to make it worthwhile. I have come to really like Yu’s films and as such, I always look forward to his projects. Other films directed by Yu include Legacy of Rage, The Postman Fights Back, The Bride With White Hair, Warriors of Virtue, and Bride of Chucky. The cast includes Huang Lei (Life on a String, Fleeing By Night), Jacqueline Wu Chien-Lien (The Peace Hotel, Eat Drink Man Woman), Philip Kwok (Tomorrow Never Dies, Kid With The Golden Arm), and Leslie Cheung (Ashes of Time, A Better Tomorrow).
Video: How does it look?
The Phantom Lover is presented in a 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. As usual for a Hong Kong film (even a recent one), the contrast is on the light side and while not to an extreme extent, you can tell in some scenes. But aside from that issue and the lack of anamorphic treatment, this transfer delivers and allows the film’s lush visuals to shine, good work indeed. The colors seem bold, vivid, and vibrant here and that’s a relief, since the film relies so much on color for visual impact. I did see some dust and debris on the source print at times, but not as much as expected, which is a welcome change. As always, an anamorphic edition would be the icing on the cake, but this is still a very good visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
On this release you’ll find three language options, Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in Cantonese & Mandarin and a mono track dubbed in English. As usual, the English track is not good at all and since it is mono, that’s even more incentive to stick with the original language option. I found the 5.1 sound to be very immersive and well textured, deep and rich audio presence at all times. The surrounds see plenty of use with this material, from powerful musical moments to all sorts of dynamic sound effects, very cool stuff indeed. The dialogue also comes across well, crisp & clean and never lost in the hustle with the more powerful elements. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, which are always nice to have on deck.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In a most welcome move, Tai Seng has given this release a deluxe two disc edition, which means lots of extras have been included. The first is home to the audio supplements, including two different audio commentary tracks. The first track is with director Ronny Yu and he is well prepared here, with a constant stream of comments that probe within the production. Yu is able to discuss the characters, the storyline, the cast, the visuals, and a plethora of other topics, all in clear form and very straight forward. The second track is also a terrific session, this time with cinematographer Peter Pau, who is one of the most gifted workers in his field. It was a treat and an honor to listen to Pau, who talks about his choices and techniques, but also makes some informal comments, just to keep it all mixed about. Both of these tracks were excellent and if you’re even a casual fan of the flick, do yourself a favor and give them both a listen. I was also pleased to find an isolated musical score included on this disc, as the film has a very good one and I know I’ll make use of the isolated option many times.
But that’s not all the extras you’ll find on this release, as the second disc houses even more stuff, so get ready for even more value added elements. The main bonus here is Making of The Phantom Lover, which runs just under half an hour and offers a behind the scenes look at the production. This piece is very well done and includes all sorts of materials, from various interviews with cast & crew members to footage taken while on the sets. This is not the usual fluff style featurette either, you’ll learn much about how The Phantom Lover was created. You can view this featurette in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese and permanent subtitles are used when needed. You’ll also find a nice presentation of slides and lobby stills in animated form, as well as an animated showcase of still photos from the flick. The disc also includes some animated talent files, as well as two theatrical trailers for The Phantom Lover. A note however, the case lists three featurettes, but I could find just one, though it was offered in three different languages from the menu.
