The Sorcerer and the White Snake, previously known as, It's
Love and Madame White Snake is a 2011 film directed by Ching Siu-tung and
starring Jet Li. It is based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake.
Production started in September 10, 2010 and ended on January 16, 2011. The film is in 3-D and was shown out of competition at the 68th Venice
International Film Festival on 3 September 2011. It was released in mainland
China on 28 September 2011 and Hong Kong on 29 September.
Story:
The film starts with Abbott Fahai and his assistant Neng Ren
heading towards a snow blizzard through a magical door. An ice harpy appears at
the top of the mountains and turns the impetuous Neng Ren into an ice statue.
She then reveals her past and reasons to kill all men. Unable to persuade the
ice harpy to turn over a new leaf, Fahai is forced to fight the ice harpy. The
battle ends with Fahai capturing the ice harpy using a demon trapper, which releases
Neng Ren from ice. Neng Ren is then tasked to confine the ice harpy at Lei Feng
Pagoda, and the master and assistant head back to the door which disappears
after closing behind them. At Lei Feng Pagoda, Neng Ren transfers the ice harpy
from the demon trapper into the magic circle, which holds other trapped demons
in it.
On the other side of the mountain, two snake demons
(Qingqing and Susu) are playing around, enjoying their time when they spot a
physician, Xu Xian, picking herbs at the foot of the mountain with his friends.
Qingqing, being a playful snake, scares Xu Xian causing him to fall into the
lake below. Susu, being the gentler snake, assumes human form and kisses Xu
Xian which allows Vital Essence to flow from her into his body thus saving him.
Soon, Xu Xian wakes up and tells his friends about being kissed by a beautiful
girl, which only makes them laugh.
After finding a victim of a bat demon, Fahai and Neng Ren
leave the temple immediately to subdue the bat demon to avoid more casualties.
Xu Xian came across them and offers a boat ride to the city. Susu starts
thinking about the day she kissed Xu Xian and decides to head to the city to
find Xu Xian. Meanwhile, while Qingqing is exploring the city, she came across
Neng Ren and decided to help him subdue the bat demon by revealing its
location. Neng Ren defeats the bat demon's cohorts, but is unable to subdue the
bat demon king who bites him. Though he is subsequently saved by Fahai, Neng
Ren starts turning into a bat demon himself the next day and decides to run
away.
In the meanwhile, after a series of pranks, Xu Xian
recognizes Susu and they spend the night together, which is rather unfortunate
for Xu Xian because he does not know that he was making love to a snake in a
human form.
Neng Ren is found by Quinqing and the two befriend each
other. They realize that Neng Ren, despite becoming a bat demon, still has all
his human taste for human food, and most of his human qualities. Meanwhile Xu
Xian and Susu wed. Shortly thereafter Fahai finds Xu Xian and after seeing a
mysterious substance in his medicines he gives Xu Xian a spirit blade. Susu is
pursued by Fahai, who tells her to leave Xu Xian. She doesn't, which causes
Fahai and his disciples to invade her and Xu Xian's cottage. Susu fights the
battle in her snake form, but is stabbed by Xu Xian unaware of her true
identity. Susu escapes but is gravely injured. Xu Xian, after realizing what he
has done, decided to get the spirit root to heal her.
Helped by Susu's friend, a mouse, Xu Xian manages to
retrieve a root kept inside the Lei Feng Pagoda that could save Susu, but is
possessed by demons as a result of this. Fahai and the other monks capture Xu
Xian and prepare to cast spells to banish the demons from his body. Susu
recovers and she goes to find Xu Xian along with Quinqing. They are confronted
by Fahai, who tries to explain to them that the spell should not be broken
before it is complete. Susu did not believe him and thought he was saying this
to separate them so the two sisters start battling Fahai. After countless
wounds Fahai lies back exhausted. As he looks around he sees Neng Ren helping
to save his former colleagues, the monks of the temple who were trying to
complete the spell to release Xu Xian from the demons. He looks up at the sky
and questions whether he was right to have been a demon hunter all his life.
Susu releases Xu Xian from the spell after which Xu Xian
does not have any memory of Susu. Susu blames this on Fahai, after which they
have one last battle. Fahai manages to trap Susu in the temple of Lei Feng
Pagoda. At this point, Susu repents and asks to see Xu Xian just one last time,
as she could accepted any punishments as long as she could see him for the last
time. Simultaneously, Fahai gets the answer to his question and understands
what he must do. Filled with the divine spirit, he lifts up the pagoda to allow
Susu's last wish to come true.
After a brief reunion with Xu Xian, she tells him of her
story of having meditated for a thousand years before she met him. She tells
him that it was all worth less than a moment with him , that even when he
didn't remember her , her memory of love with him is enough , and that even if
she has to die or live with pain, she won't regret , how much she has to suffer
to see him one last time . She kisses him, causing him to remember everything.
As the pair go to kiss one last time Susu is sucked back into the temple,
leaving Xu Xian chasing her as both cry and reach out for each other.
Qingqing, watching all this from a distance with Neng Ren,
tells him that she doesn't want to love anyone as her sister loved Xu Xian, and
leaves saying that he will never be a true bat demon anyway.
After this, we see Xu Xian picking herbs around the temple
and inside Susu has returned to her true form as a white snake trapped inside
the temple. Fahai is seen walking the mountainside when suddenly Neng Ren (now
a complete bat demon) appears alongside him. Throwing him an apple to eat Fahai
tells him that his new look suits him, and they continue on the journey
together again.