A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
倩女幽魂
Overview
"A timid debt collector seeks shelter in an abandoned temple and falls in love with a beautiful woman, only to discover she is a ghost bound to serve a horrifying, androgynous Tree Demon. To save her soul from being married off to the Lord of the Underworld, he must enlist the help of a grumpy, rapping Taoist priest."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
A Taoist priest furiously rapping magical incantations and throwing explosive scrolls at evil spirits.
"rapping taoist""explosive scrolls" - ▶
Fighting a massive, grotesque ancient Tree Demon with a gigantic, serpentine tongue.
"tree demon fight""giant tongue" - ▶
A beautiful ghost trying to hide an innocent scholar in her bath to protect him from demons.
"hiding in bath""bath tub scene" - ▶
Journeying into the underworld to rescue a soul before the gates of hell close at dawn.
"underworld fight""gates of hell"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The hilarious Taoist priest rapping spells and throwing explosive paper talismans.
- ★Nie Xiaoqian desperately hiding the scholar inside her bathwater as demons search the room.
- ★The horrifying, giant prehensile tongue of the ancient Tree Demon.
Cultural Context
- ◈A landmark film blending horror, romance, comedy, and martial arts that revitalized the ghost genre in Asia.
- ◈Produced by Tsui Hark, the film features groundbreaking lighting, wind machines, and wire-fu effects.
- ◈The theme song sung by Leslie Cheung remains iconic across the Chinese-speaking world.
About the Action Elements
A Chinese Ghost Story is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving taoist, priest, rapping, incantations, scrolls. One of the most memorable sequences features Leslie Cheung naturally executing rapping taoist, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.