{"id":9553,"date":"2013-08-07T22:19:26","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T20:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pinartarhan.com\/blog\/?p=9553"},"modified":"2013-08-07T22:19:26","modified_gmt":"2013-08-07T20:19:26","slug":"pavilion-of-women-starring-willem-dafoe-luo-yan-and-john-cho-a-cheesy-but-lovely-romantic-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pinartarhan.com\/blog\/pavilion-of-women-starring-willem-dafoe-luo-yan-and-john-cho-a-cheesy-but-lovely-romantic-drama\/","title":{"rendered":"Pavilion of Women starring Willem Dafoe, Luo Yan and John Cho: A Cheesy but Lovely Romantic Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"pavilion<\/a>
Pavilion of Women image via silverdisc.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Pavilion of Women Story<\/b><\/p>\n

Madame Wu (Yan Luo) is from a wealthy, important family in pre-World War II China. Although she has a somewhat modern mind, she\u2019s embraced her traditional roles, and is in the process of finding her husband a second wife \u201cbecause she wants to retire\u201d. Despite the objections and disgust her modern-thinking son Fengmo (John Cho), she settles on a nice, na\u00efve girl who seems a lot more age-appropriate for Fengmo.<\/p>\n

Enter Father Andre (Willem Dafoe<\/a>) who works at the orphanage, is great with kids and is a modern, knowledgeable man. He first impresses (and shocks) Wu and her friends, when he saves the life of Wu\u2019s friend during childbirth. Then Wu hires Andre (who insists on his payments be whatever the kids at the orphanage need) to tutor his son. She later joins his lessons herself, and becomes further impressed with his way of thinking.<\/p>\n

As they get to know each other, a strong mutual attraction grows.<\/p>\n

Add her son\u2019s feelings for his father\u2019s bride and the war, and things get way too complicated and dangerous for these three characters.<\/p>\n

Based on the novel of Pearl S. Buck<\/a>, adapted to screen by Yan Luo and Paul Collins. Directed by Ho Yim in 2001. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

On Society, Traditions and Relationships<\/b><\/p>\n

This blog features a series of post on movies where I think cheating is OK<\/a> (something I don\u2019t support in real life, but the movies in question feature some extraordinary stories and circumstances), and this movie does belong there as I totally approve (and understand) Wu\u2019s falling for Andre (I mean it is a wonderful human being played by the ever lovely Willem Dafoe).<\/p>\n

But as outrageous as the idea of a man getting a second wife might seem to a feminist (as in I believe both sexes are equal and one sex having more power\/authority\/privileges pisses me off to no end), <\/b>but <\/b>I think it is a great way to stop having sex with your obnoxious husband. In a time where you don\u2019t get to choose or do much as a woman, and when\/if you are not exactly happy with the man you are married to, this seems more like a solution that a problem.<\/p>\n

Although, unlike Wu, I\u2019d so find a girl I didn\u2019t like to marry my husband. I mean the \u201cother\u201d wife was so sweet and innocent. \u00a0Poor girl. Getting a woman to marry that man would be a sweet revenge.<\/b><\/p>\n

Of course the core values of the society are questionable. Like not letting a man near a pregnant woman would almost kill both the woman and her baby, Wu\u2019s not initially approving her son\u2019s feelings for his father\u2019s new bride (as if that was the more unnatural thing), saving face being more important than anything, letting the poor kids suffer because they are not yours\u2026.The list goes on.<\/p>\n

The Movie: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<\/b><\/p>\n

Wu is a wonderfully flawed character that gets on your nerves as much as gets you to root for her. And just like Wu, while being pretty flawed, it has its charming points.<\/p>\n

The Good:<\/span><\/p>\n