A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella

Synopsis

"A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" is a classic film directed by Jeffrey Lau and starring Stephen Chow in 1995, with a Douban rating of 9.2 based on approximately 1.28 million reviews. On the surface, the film is a nonsensical comedy, but at its core, it is a profound love tragedy. The theme song "A Lifetime of Love" has been widely sung to this day, and the character Zixia Fairy has become one of the most iconic female roles in Chinese cinema.

Overview

A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella is a 1995 Hong Kong comedy-romantic-fantasy film directed and written by Jeffrey Lau, starring Stephen Chow, Athena Chu, Ng Man-tat, Karen Mok, and others. It is the second installment in the A Chinese Odyssey series, jointly produced by Xi'an Film Studio and Hong Kong's Colour Star Film Company.

The film tells the story of Joker (Stephen Chow), who is transported 500 years into the past by the Pandora's Box, where he meets Zixia Fairy (Athena Chu). She brands him as her own, and he discovers he has become the Monkey King. Joker must choose between love and destiny, ultimately donning the golden headband to become the Great Sage Equal of Heaven and embarking on the journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures.

The film holds a high rating of 9.2 on Douban, with approximately 1.2857 million ratings. It is the highest-rated film among Stephen Chow's works and one of the highest-rated films in China. However, upon its initial release in 1995, it was a box office failure. It was not rediscovered until it gained popularity on university campuses and the internet between 1996 and 1997, becoming one of the most famous cases of a word-of-mouth comeback in Chinese film history.

Main Cast

Classic Lines and Music

The film contributed countless classic lines, the most famous being:

"Once there was a sincere love placed before me, but I did not cherish it. Only after losing it did I realize the regret. Nothing in this world is more painful than this. If heaven would give me another chance, I would say three words to that girl: I love you. If a time limit had to be set for this love, I wish it would be — ten thousand years."

The theme song "A Lifetime of Love" is sung by Lowell Lo, with music composed by Zhao Jiping and Lowell Lo. Its poignant and moving melody perfectly matches the tragic core of the film. Nearly thirty years since its release, it remains one of China's most beloved movie songs.

Cultural Impact

A Chinese Odyssey has had a profound influence on Chinese popular culture. The film reinterprets the Journey to the West story, portraying the Monkey King as a tragic hero struggling against fate. Zixia Fairy's line, "My beloved is a peerless hero," has become the most romantic imagining of love in the hearts of countless people.

The film's spread among university students initiated the first wave of viral internet culture in China. On BBS, forums, and later social media, classic lines from A Chinese Odyssey were repeatedly quoted, adapted, and paid homage to. Stephen Chow's mo lei tau (nonsensical) comedic style was imbued with profound philosophical depth through this film, proving that comedy can also carry the power of tragedy.

Duology Comparison

References

1. Douban Movie — A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella: https://movie.douban.com/subject/1292213/
2. Wikipedia — A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/大话西游之大圣娶亲
3. Baidu Baike — A Chinese Odyssey: https://baike.baidu.com/item/大话西游