SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN – The Review

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN is an endearing drama of female bonding across many generations in China based on a novel of the same name. Director Wayne Wang did an admirable job relating the book into a shorter feature length film, unfortunately it ultimately mired the film down. He was, however, successful with his work with THE JOY LUCK CLUB. The female leads, Bingbing Li and Gianna Jun, played the dual adult roles from 19th century women to modern day Shanghai independent women and in a believable fashion. The screenplay definitely could have introduced the audience more with the modern day friendship to make the friendship more accessible.

The narrative is set into two parts that flip back and forth accordingly to the story’s progression. One is of an arranged friendship of two young girls, and the other of young teen girls finding friendship through happenstance in modern day Shanghai. Both eras effectively display the hardships that time, distance, and obligations can truly test even the strongest of female friendships-laotongs “old sames”. The characters of Snow Flower and Lily are places in an arranged relationship and are forced into a laotong. A laotong is actually a written an spiritual contract between two women to bind their souls for eternity. To encourage the strength and closeness of this kinship, they are required to create a “nu shu” — a secret language only they two are able to decipher and is exchanged between the folds of the silk fans. Jumping to the 21st century, we are introduced to teenage Nina and Sophia that develop a similar friendship, that even though different circumstances, basically endure parallel hardships and struggle to maintain the friendship.

Wang created a wonderful cultural diversity between the diametrically opposed eras using the harsh, bland landscape of the 19th century versus the 21st century skyscrapers with bright colored lights and fast paced traffic. In their own ways, both have created significant obstacles on the laotongs. Throughout the film, we are exposed to cultural norms of the Eastern world, modern and ancient which was quite interesting. However, it was one of the only elements of the film, besides the lovely score, that kept a relatively slow pace interesting and engaging. And, it should be noted there is a very unexpected cameo in the film.

Despite time, culture, and location, the bonding of a true friendship, laotongs (with or without a written contract) can be everlasting in any race or religion, can relate to the heartfelt kinship of your true “best friend”. On a side note, I watched this with my best friend, and it made me appreciate our bond even more.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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