Green Snake (1993) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray) | Directed by Hark Tsui

Title: Green Snake (1993)

Alternate Title: 青蛇 (Ching Se)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Action

Plot Synopsis:
Two snake spirits, White Snake and Green Snake, transform into human form to experience the human world. White Snake falls in love with a scholar named Hsui Xien, while Green Snake indulges in playful mischief. Their presence attracts the attention of a Buddhist monk, Fat-hoi, who is determined to banish them, leading to a confrontation that challenges the boundaries between humanity and the supernatural.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Tsui Hark
• Writers: Lilian Lee, Tsui Hark
• Cast:
  • Joey Wong as White Snake
  • Maggie Cheung as Green Snake
  • Wu Hsing-Kuo as Hsui Xien
  • Vincent Zhao as Fat-hoi
  • Ma Jingwu as Abbot

YouTube Trailer:
Green Snake (1993) | Movie Trailer

IMDb Link:
Green Snake (1993)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. esther – ★★★★★
   “Two trans girls visit a town where everyone is horny but come into conflict with a powerful volcel warrior (dir. Tsui Hark, 1993)

   I do want to say something of substance I guess. It’s fucking incredible? Even on a dvdrip the vibrance of the lighting is stunning to behold. Besides like Hausu I can’t remember having seen another live-action movie so awash with color. That plus Tsui Hark’s freeform camera movement (always floating and gliding and flipping) gives it that great fantastical feel. It plays like a living myth, if that makes sense. It makes sense to me. I dunno. I love movies so much!!!”

2. Jake Cole – ★★★★★
   “Tsui Hark’s belligerent wuxia film savagely attacks the conservative conventions of the genre, portraying the kung fu master monk who roams the countryside banishing animal spirits not as the hero but the unambiguous villain who hides his sexual repression behind a mask of piety. The snake demons, by contrast, are the most human characters in the film, their desire to experience human life and love making them more empathetic than the actual humans who shun them. Hark’s camera is as restless as ever, but here it is more fluid, gliding through the film’s lush sets and effects with a grace that matches the movements of the snake sisters. The result is one of the director’s most beautiful and moving films.”
3. Chris 🍉 – ★★★★½
   “Sensory overload cinema. Saying this after having just watched Szamanka a few days ago is crazy but this is one of the most overwhelming things I’ve seen in a while. Every image is so impressionistic and full, it’s hard to believe it keeps the same level of passion going for its entire runtime, but it does right before your eyes.”

Meta Description:
“Green Snake” (1993), directed by Tsui Hark, is a Hong Kong fantasy film that explores the lives of two snake spirits who assume human form, delving into themes of love, desire, and the conflict between the supernatural and the human world.