Country: China
Genre: Drama
Director: Jianxin Huang
Year: 1994
Rating: 
WORTH A LOOK
I regret to say that I can’t quite recommend The Wooden Man’s Bride. I’m sorry because the acting is superb, the cinematography is starkly beautiful, the orchestral score subtly underscores the emotional gravity of the events, and at about the halfway mark, the story picks up and becomes increasingly compelling, culminating in a powerful conclusion.
But there’s the first half which is so slow that it’s like watching grass grow. Not that there isn’t any inherent interest. Kui (Shih Chang) is taking Young Mistress (Lan Wang) on her way to get married in another village when she’s kidnapped by bandits. Kui manages to rescue her but before he can get to the village, Young Mistress’ betrothed dies in an accident. According to tradition, she is forced to marry a wooden man representing the dead bridegroom.
That’s when things start to get interesting.
Young Mistress has some spirit and does not take kindly to this sham marriage. While Kui watches in increasing distress, a war of wills escalates between Young Mistress and her mother-in-law Madame Liu (an extraordinary Yumei Wang). Madame Liu is not an evil woman. She is simply very traditional. She herself was widowed at a young age and has been faithful to the memory of her dead husband for twenty years. She is not unkind and has compassion for Young Mistress. But she wonders, “If I can do it, why can’t she?” In the end, it isn’t really Madame Liu but the implacability of tradition that is cruel.
Something’s got to give, but director Jianxin Huang expertly ratchets up the tension a notch at a time before that happens.
The final revelation took me by surprise and changes the entire tenor of the story. We thought we were watching the story of a doomed romance. Instead, The Wooden Man’s Bride turns out to be about the germination of social unrest and revolution.
As I said, it’s a strong ending, but not quite enough to make up for that pokey first 45 minutes.