The Butterfly Lovers

THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS is a Romeo-Juliet story of Chinese.If in Indonesia it may be similar with ‘Saijah and Adinda’ legend, Roro Mendut and Pronocitro, or other legendary love story that exists in some areas. Therefore, the story of Butterfly Lovers was already very popular among the Chinese community. So not surprisingly, this story has several times made the film, both wide screen and television, including starring Peter Ho.
I watched THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS is released in 2008, martial art version. But ordinary language is not Chinese, but Cantonese, so it is a bit strange in the ears. There is a bit similar to Thai. But surely not too much different with the usual Mandarin.
It told about Zhu Yanzhi (Charlene Choi), the sole daughter of an officer Zhu Gongyuan (Ti Lung) is sent to study in collage, disguised as men. He brought a letter from his father to be submitted to Cao tao (Harlem Yu), which is a medicine teacher at the college. Come take her departure is Cheng'en Ma (Hu Ge), her childhood friend. He also helped when Yanzhi get trouble on the way. But he was not alone, there was another man who helped her.
Back in college, he was taken facing chairman Cao Tao To-tau (Hung Yan Yan). It was there she knew the man who helped her was the oldest student named Zhongshan Ling (Wu Chun).Zhongshan was asked by Cao Tao to guide Yanzhi during probation before undergoing the test whether she could stay in college or not. They had become friends, until the feelings became mutual love. Originally Zhongshan who did not know Yanzhi was a girl, thought he was ill and asked for medicine to Cao Tao. But Cao Tao who knows the identity of Yanzhi was calm, but still did not unlock the secret for he feared Yanzhi expelled from college.
Zhangshan finally learned the truth when he found Yanzhi fell and injured while looking for medicinal plants for Cao Tao. This drug is an anti-pill tortoise, could make a temporary dead. Knowing this truth, they were feeling more deeply in love with both of them. Even through the assessment Zhangshan and Cao Tao, Yanzhi finally managed to graduate continuing of studying in college. But just at that moment, Ma Cheng'en came to fetch her.
Yanzhi later recounted by him that his father sent her to learn because it was deliberately facing defamation issues. Yanzhi’s family sent in jail. But thanks to the help of Ma Cheng'en who successfully promoted, Gongyuan Zhu and his wife (Li Qinqin) as well as other family released. Hearing this,Yanzhi with Ma Cheng'en came home.But earlier, she had tied an appointment with Zhongshan, who promised to catch up and get her to stay at the villa of butterflies --- the hill where a lot of flowers and butterflies live.
At home Yanzhi surprised to see there wedding preparations. Said his mother, it was for her wedding. But she immediately refused when it would be married to Ma Cheng'en already regarded as a brother.Gongyuan ignoring her daughter's rejection because it was already indebted to Cheng'en. Yanzhi was locked in the room.
Zhongshan who just haw arrived also heard about Yanzhi marriage. He immediately slipped into Yanzhi’s residence and talked to her. They planned to escape and promised to meet in a river. Did their efforts? If you love a kind of Romeo-Juliet story, surely you could guess the ending.


Director : Jingle Ma
Produser : Catherine Hun,
Writer : Chan Po Chun, Jingle Ma, Ng Ka-keung, Yeung Sin Ling
Distributor : Mei Ah Entertaiment Tahun 2008
Cast : Wu Chun as Leung Chung-Shan (Liang Zhongshan), Charlene Choi as Chuk Yin-Chi (Zhu Yanzhi), Hu Ge as Ma Sing-Yan (Ma Cheng'en), Harlem Yu as Uncle Cho-Yau (Uncle Caotou), Ti Lung as Chuk Kung-Yuen (Zhu Gongyuan), Xian Seli as Ngan-Sam (Yinxin), Hung Yan Yan as Uncle To-Tau (Uncle Toutuo)