spotlight: "war and beauty"

War and Beauty is the most hyped and discussed series of 2004. It brought in the ratings as well as the viewers for TVB, accumulating awards and acclaims everywhere. Not only that, but it is the first costume drama to be filmed in the real Imperial Palace in Beijing, China. TVB put a lot of money and soul into this production; it clearly shows. The resulting drama from all of the hard work and dedication of the casts and crew is best termed as a masterpiece of an artwork.

In recent years, TVB has failed to produce a true classic drama that will be remembered in years to come. With War, they have achieved such a production. There is so much wit and intelligence put into the script of War that one ponders why TVB doesn't have more series with the credentials of War more frequently. Classics take time to formulate and with TVB's rush to get the most amount of series out each year, it's no wonder why there isn't more series like War each year.

On a shallow perspective, the plotline of War is just about the nasty and cruel battles among the Emperor's concubines and Empress in the palace. Even if one fails to look pass this outer layer of plot, he or she will still find War incredibly interesting and engaging. On an analytical view of the series, one will see that War is a haunting painting of people and the relationships among people. Although the philosophical outlook of War is to an extreme end of pessimism, if the cruel tactics and brutality of the characters' actions is stripped away, its numerous comments on life still sadly holds true. There are many layers to this series in every aspect. The scriptwriters of this production are truly geniuses for producing such intellectual dialogues, morals, and solid characters. The deeper that one digs into the series's plot, the more treasures will be discovered. The ending is wonderfully scripted and so aesthetic. It screams such a tragic message that keeps the viewer thinking and sums up the series very well.

Not only did TVB have a great script, it also selected a brilliant casting. Almost every cast member was marvelous and gave a great performance, bringing to life the characters from the pages of the script.

Sheren Tang - Yu Fei - From the beginning of the series to the ending, Sheren Tang was extraordinary. She really did nail the role of 'Yu Fei' to perfection and I couldn't imagine anyone else being able to top it. Her scenes were the most enjoyable to me. I loved her wit. She conveyed power and fear during her reign in the palace. When she lost her power, she truly made the audience pity her and wish that she was in power again. Her ending is tragic. Although she didn't die, her life is far worse than death itself. Being forever trapped in the palace and constantly on the lookout for schemes that attempt to bring her down, it is very tiring for Yu Fei. No one is true to her and she has no one to trust or love. However, as she phrases it herself, "I don't know how to live outside of the palace. This has been my home and in the future, my grave." Yu Fei is my favorite character. When she first entered the palace, she was optimistic and kind. She thought she could treat everyone with honesty and love and they would in turn be true to her. However, she discovered it the hard way that people are two-faced. Her first pregnancy was poisoned by the Empress. After this unfortunate event, Yu Fei had to give up herself and put up a fearful facade to defend herself. Her heart became cold and she (rightfully but sadly) grew to judge everyone in a negative manner. When she lost power, everyone looked down on and ridiculed her. Only Hung Mo was true to her and helped her make it through those hard times. In the end, she gets back her power and prestige, but does she really have it all? No, happiness still and might never reach her. She lost her daughter, her only hope and love in life, and gave up everything that she has had. She has too much of a burden and that is why I find Yu Fei most interesting and tragic. I loved the ending scene with her standing alone in the balcony of the palace and reciting the poem on her handkerchief. I don't love the willows by the walls of the palace. I was misled by fate. There are times for the blossoming and withering of flowers. It depends on the sun. I want to go. I'm glad there's love in your heart. I want to stay. It's because there's still hate in my heart. Now I have to count on you to fulfill our wish to travel freely wide and far. Take care. What a beautiful way to close up the series and reflect upon Yu Fei.

Maggie Cheung - On Sin - Maggie Cheung's performance was captivating and realistic. 'On Sin' is my other favorite character besides 'Yu Fei.' I loved watching her change from a palace maid to a concubine. 'On Sin' was really smart (maybe too smart), which caused her downfall. When she was a maid, she had to watch her every word and action. Being a maid, she had no power and had to appease her masters. However, she lived as happily as she could because she had the hope and motivation of leaving the palace soon and being able to live freely with her grandmother in her village. She waited for the day of her departure and reunion with her grandmother. When she realized that her grandmother was dead, she lost all hope. Her motivation to live was gone and life no longer had a meaning or purpose to her. Before, she could tell herself that she could be free soon, but now, she had nothing. She gave up her true love (Hung Mo) and her heart to seek revenge. She sold herself in hopes of taking down the Empress. In the end, she didn't get her revenge. Instead, she only inflicted pain upon herself and others. She finally gets a chance to be with Hung Mo, but fate was cruel and she got hit with an arrow. However, she died peacefully and happily resting her head beside the only one she ever loved. Hung Mo says, "You're tired. Why don't you rest now and I'll wake you up when we get to the pier?" On Sin smiles and says, "Ok, but you must remember to wake me up." It is so sad because Hung Mo had no idea that On Sin was dying and that she was never going to wake up. Nevertheless, it was such a lovely scene. On Sin truly was tired and she needed to rest because she hadn't been true to herself since she became a concubine.

Charmaine Sheh - Yee Shun - I felt Charmaine Sheh's performance was good, but not to the extent of Sheren or Maggie's. Yee Shun is another poor soul abused by the cruel hands of Tsui Gong Gong. She was taken in and molded by him for the sole purpose of manipulating people and gaining power so that he could use her to his advantage. She had no say in her life and every action she did was for Tsui Gong Gong. She loved Suen Pak Yeung deeply, but he had no eyes for her. Yee Shun was separated from her sister and she never learned who was her sister and whether or not she was really dead. When Tsui Gong Gong died, Yee Shun realized she no longer had a purpose in life. She labored to become the top concubine for him, but now that he was dead, who was she fighting for? She put herself in so much pain and in the end, everything has become pointless. Luckily for her, she manages to escape from the palace and On Sin tells her to start life anew, doing what she wants.

I didn't extremely enjoy the characterizations of the other casts as much I did for the roles of Sheren Tang, Maggie Cheung, and Charmaine Sheh. Therefore, I will not be analyzing their characters as I did for Yu Fei, On Sin, and Yee Shun. I will just be stating my opinions on the other prominent characters and that particular cast's performance. I didn't include the other minor characters because it would be too tedious and I don't have the time for such an extensive review.

Gigi Lai - Yuk Ying - I don't know why Gigi Lai got so much popularity and acclaim for her role as 'Yuk Ying.' I felt Gigi's performance was average and similar to her performance in other series. She was not impressive. At first I was annoyed with Yuk Ying's fits and she seemed too full of herself. I was surprised when it was revealed that she was faking her stupidity and I even pitied her when it was revealed that Yuk Ying's entry into the palace was for her mother. I felt it was admirable and I wished Yuk Ying hadn't been framed. It was interesting to watch her climb back up and become a 'gwai yan.' I even sympathized when she expressed that she couldn't trust or love anyone. Her sisterly relationship with On Sin was sweet and it was sad to watch her be hurt by On Sin's "betrayal." Towards the ending, I became unfond of Yuk Ying because her actions were illogical and ridiculous. I often pondered what she was thinking because her actions don't flow logically. She is too stubborn and I feel she is the luckiest out of all the girls because everyone helped her and she was able to be with the one that she loved (Suen Pak Yeung). I even felt that, towards the end, she was just using her mother as an excuse. Overall, Yuk Ying was not a favorite for me to watch.

Bowie Lam - Suen Pak Yeung - The role of 'Suen Pak Yeung' was good and might have been much more interesting to watch if only Bowie Lam's acting wasn't so lacking. Bowie really failed to bring to life his role. His crying scenes lacked tears and emotions. He looked bored and had similar expressions most of the time. I didn't enjoy his performance at all and I feel that he didn't do 'Suen Pak Yeung' justice. I don't think Bowie is suited for ancient roles; he's too modern. I felt another actor would have made 'Suen Pak Yeung' even more interesting and enjoyable to watch. Again, I don't know how he could have bagged 'Best Actor' at the 2004 TVB anniversary because his acting is not good at all. I disliked Suen Pak Yeung because he was too stubborn and unappreciative of what he had. He had a great wife at home and a father who loved him dearly, but he refused to accept them. Instead, he was in love with a woman that he shouldn't love and mistakes after mistakes bring his demise. He is a good physician, but he's not good with curing the soul.

Moses Chan - Hung Mo - At first 'Hung Mo' bored me a lot. I dreaded his scenes immensely. Luckily, his character became more likable and interesting as he became involved with On Sin and Yu Fei. I loved both of his relationships with them and they were probably the most loving relationships in the series. He is honest, hard-working, and true. Overall Moses Chan did ok, nothing too spectacular because his character wasn't that fully developed.

Jade Leung - Fook Nga - She is probably one of the kindest concubine in the palace. She is so pure and doesn't engage in any of the nasty entangelements of the palace. I was shocked to find out that she took drugs to prevent herself from being cured just so that she could see Suen Pak Yeung, her love. She hinted that she could be conniving if she wanted to and that she could have been a big concubine, but she chose not to. Fook Nga is another sad character and one that I enjoyed watching. Her relationship with Yee Shun (who turns out to be her real sister) is sweet and she is the only one who helps and understands Yee Shun. Jade Leung gave a decent performance, but looked very refreshing and pretty.

Rebecca Chan - Empress - I can't believe how I grew from liking the Empress to hating her so passionately. When she first appeared, I thought that she was kind-hearted and applauded her for saving On Sin. When small details of her actions started to emerge, I became suspicious of her. When her real character was exposed, I absolutely hated her. I do understand that she had to be evil to keep her position as Empress, but I felt her tricks were too cruel and dirty. I just couldn't sympathize for her character. I was really happy whenever Yu Fei made her angry. Rebecca Chan did a fairly good job.

War conveys a lot of truth in regards to life. I will list some of the more prominent ones:

People are born good, but circumstances and situations create maliciousness.

The greatest regret comes from pondering the word "if."

Everyone has motives and reasons behind every action.

People are complex and have many layers to his or her personality.

It is wrong and inaccurate to judge someone based on only one incident.

Not everything that the eyes see is truth.

Nothing is ever worth the sacrifice of giving yourself up.

Friendship and even kinship is only so deep.

People are fake and follow the wind. Whoever is in power will be favored and those who are lowly will be further belittled.

There is no easy way to turn back once a decision or action has been made.

True feelings don't emerge until glory and prestige are stripped away.

Life isn't fair and love is blind.

Wealth and power are meaningless without love.

The numerous costumes and accessories in War are simply beautiful. The view of the real Imperial Palace is breath-taking. The series looks authentic and is visually very appealing and extremely attractive. All of the background music pieces are very nice and really highlights the action in every scene. The themesong and subsong sung by Bowie Lam are decent, but I wish someone else had sung the songs instead. I don't enjoy Bowie's singing very much, but the melody and lyrics are good.

I enjoyed War immensely for its plot and the wonderful performances of the casts. I found the storyline engaging and really addictive. It is exciting and keeps the viewer at the edge of his or her seat, always anxious to see what will happen next. There were plenty of delightful twists and turns throughout and the schemes of all of the concubines were so clever and thrilling. I was also pleased to see how smart the script was. The dialogues were really very well-written! The script was solid and above average throughout. However, I found the series to be somewhat tiring and a little long-winded during some of the middle parts. Therefore, my enjoyment of the series was somewhat lowered and this overall prevented me from rating this series as flawless.

Regardless, War and Beauty is excellent and is a must-watch. It is truly a classic of a series and very unique with creativity, originality, and wit. Even if the viewer doesn't appreciate the series beyond its casts, scenaries and costumes, and entertainment value, War will still be raved as very good by that viewer. Those who look deeper into the series will definitely find War's quality even more ingenious. This is by far one of the most excellent drama productions of recent years and tops 2004 as being the best costume drama in my books. Watch this series without hestitation or doubt! You will not be disappointed. It is such a beautiful piece of artwork.

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