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Stefan Zweig's novella "Letter from an Unknown Woman" has survived many screen adaptations, the most famous being that made in 1948 by French director Max Ophüls, starring Joan Fontaine. Here, from Mainland China, comes one of the latest, adapted by actress and director Xu Jinglei. Transposing the milieu effortlessly from 1920s Vienna to 1930s and 1940s Beijing, it is a fairly short feature (which befits the length of the original) telling the love of one woman (played by Xu Jinglei herself and the young Li Yuan) who falls for a writer (Jiang Wen) - someone who conveniently forgets her once their liaison is over. Hauntingly scored, and beautifully shot by cinematographer Li Ping Bin - full of dark, brooding chiaroscuros - it is most sensitively directed by Xu Jinglei. Seen almost entirely from the female perspective, Xu's second directed feature is a finely chiselled piece of work. Jiang Wen, as usual, gives the most ample support. If you come across the DVD, you must watch this. |