Temptation of a Monk

You Seng

Hong Kong

1993

118 Min

Color

1.85:1

Cantonese, Mandarin

Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
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SCR Lillian Lee, Eddie Ling-ching Fong

CAST Joan Chen, Hsing-kuo Wu, Zhang Fengyi, Michael Lee, Lisa Lu, Teddy Robin Kwan

PROD DES Wai-ming Lee, Yang Zhangjia, Timmy Yip

SOUND Roger Savage, Paul Pirola

Venice (Competition), Toronto, Stockholm (Open Zone), Sundance

Synopsis

Near the beginning of the Tang dynasty, in 7th century China, General Shi Yan-sheng is tricked into leaving the crown prince unguarded. The crown prince is murdered by one of his brothers who then becomes emperor. Shi retreats to a monastery, perhaps to hide, perhaps to plan a coup. When his loyal troops as well as the princess he desires are slain, he seeks refuge in a remote, abandoned monastery where an aged abbot schools him with practical, earthy teachings. The emperor’s forces pursue Shi: first a woman, then a general seek to overpower him with lust and might. Over the course of the film, the reds of battle give way to blues of meditation. —IMDb

Director

Clara Law

Clara Law (羅卓瑤) (born 29 May 1957 in Macau) is a Hong Kong film director, now having relocated to Australia before the 1997 Hong Kong handover.

She has produced several films focusing on the themes of migration and the identity crisis of Hong Kong people. Her most remarkable works include Farewell China (1990) and Autumn Moon (1992).

After she moved to Australia, she continued her film career and made several films including Floating Life (1996) and The Goddess of 1967 (2000), both have won numerous awards in Australia and film festivals around the world. Her latest film is Letters to Ali (2004), which deals with Australia’s refugee situation.

She often collaborates with her husband, Eddie Fong Ling-Ching, who usually is her screenwriter. —Wikipedia