Customer Reviews

The Soong Sisters

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE SOONG SISTERS is a visually stunning recounting of the turns of events that changed China from a land of Dynasties to a nation of multiple personalities: the Nationalist Party, the Revolutionists, and the Communist Party. As such it fills in many bits of political and social history that by and large have gone unnoticed by the West. Charlie Soong (having been educated in America) has three special daughters whom he loves so much that he sends them to America for schooling at Wellesley to prepare for what he envisions as a New China. The daughters return to China as young women, marry men who are destined to become important political leaders, and the changes the resulting schism of a Chinese family parallels the cultural transformation of one of the oldest civilizations on the planet. Director Mabel Cheung has a keen eye for vistas of Oriental splendor, capturing the young girls at play in gardens, marrying in elegantly beautiful ceremonies, joining the 'imported' western culture with the elegance of the Chinese culture in the arts, a fine sense of the seasons (though when it rains in China apparently one cannot hear a normal conversation!), and even the requisite battle scenes that of course must accompany this period of transition (internal battles as well as fighting the invading Japanese army). For the most part she draws vivid performances from Jiang Wan (a true mixture of East and West) as Charlie Soong, Michelle Yeoh, Vivian Wu and Maggie Cheung as the three Soong sisters, and Winston Chao as Sun Yat-Sen and Kuo Chiu Wa as Chiang Kai-Shek, two of their husbands. The drawbacks in this very long movie are the editing (scenes literally bounce off each other in a most distracting non-fusion), sound track (treacly Western sentimentalist gush coupled with the elegance of old Chinese music on ancient instruments), and the lack of passion in the relationships of the people. Perhaps this is her style: perhaps it is a way of avoiding commitment to any one of the political parties addressed. Given these reservations, if you are in the mood for eye candy and the wonder of history, try this film in the comfort of your home.

This stunning non-fiction epic is filled with cinematic splendour. Base on accounts of the social upheavals in various points and eras in Chinese history, it is filled with gorgeous cinematography, great score by Kitaro and great cast. Historically accurate if not, a few minor point may be incorrect, but as a whole, it shows you the big picture.

With some of the best stars there is from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Maggie Cheung, Michelle Khan and Vivian Wu portrayal as the three sister are excellent. But the most powerful in performance are from the men. Jiang Wen (outspoken Charlie Soong) also a favourite actor of mine, Winston Chou (charismatic Sun Yatsen) and Kuo Chiuwu (commanding Chiang Kaishek) are powerful and haunting.

Despite an 18 minute footage cut from the original, still its a great direction from Mabel Cheung. As a loyal fan of great movies from China, in likes of directors Yimou, Kaige, XieFei and HePing, Soong Sisters to me will be one of my personal favourite masterpiece, one of the few from Hong Kong.

Genghiz

This is a excellent movie, without Michelle's back kick. Don't expect any action in this movie. You don't need it. This is a non-fiction story, about three sisters whose married with the three men who impacted greatly onto the modern Chinese history. Very good history lesson, described the confusing time in China througout 2 World Wars. You may want to review basic modern Chinese history before watching this movie. Sometimes it gets confusing. Maggie is fantastic, as well as Michelle. She can act wonderfully without flipping and kicking. This is a MUST SEE movie for Michelle's fun. It will open up your eyes.

This film covers a period in Chinese history when an incredible amount was going on. If you're not familiar with key Chinese names and events in the first half of the 20th century, bone up first or you'll miss the impact of the Soongs' story. It would be extremely difficult for a single film--even a long one like this--to do justice to their lives while at the same time adequately portraying the intricately layered events they were caught up in. It bounces through events that cry out for greater depth. Maybe it would have been better to attempt bite sized portions and make three or four films from the fascinating material. Nevertheless, it's well worth seeing for the same reason one might scan the Reader's Digest version of Tolstoy's War and Peace. The acting is good in the somewhat formal Chinese style, there is great attention to historical detail in the sets and costumes and it's beautiful to look at. The only complaint I'd make is the subtitles are full of spelling and other errors.

Don't watch this movie for a history lesson. It is, however, a beautifully photographed, lyrical story of three of 20th century China's most fascinating women. Approach it on those terms and it's a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

The audio and visual qualities are outstanding. The DVD casing is pristine. The production values of the film itself are superb. As to quality of content, that is for you to decide. I happen to love Maggie Cheung, but that is my problem. Michelle Yeoh and Vivian Wu turn in fine performances. You can trust my objectivity about those two more so than in the case of Maggie.

First rate acting and beautifully filmed. Don't believe the garbage that this movie looks cheap.

The Soong sisters played a crucial role in modern Chinese history. Maggie Cheung, Vivian Wu, and Michelle Yeoh portray with deep emotion a close family driven apart by political turmoil.

Winston Chao as Sun Yat-Sen and Kuo Chiu Wu as Chiang Kai-Shek make the movie very convincing.

This is a good story which has a focus on the relationship between three sisters who each married a man with a huge role in the development of modern China. You need to know a little bit about the huge word events taking place before, during, and after WWII to appreciate the import of these sisters, their relationships, and the part they played in Chinese, and world history. We used the English subtitle version.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00019GHF2/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

My husband bought this from Amazon, and tonight we watched it. If you have some knowledge of Chinese history, this is a feast. My husband has two degrees in Chinese history, and he deems it highly accurate. Beyond that, it is a visual feast, in that action and color are used to their greatest advantage, so that the term "moving picture" is accurate as it rarely is.

We will recommend this to all our friends who have an interest in China in the twentieth century.

This is a good movie considering the span of time and the events that occurred from 1900's to post world war 2. Worth the 2.5 hours.
Money, power, Country! The 3 sisters and their destinies!
Recommended for viewing.