War and Beauty

Infobox Television
show_name = War and Beauty
(金枝慾孽)


caption =
genre = Costume Drama
format =
runtime = 45 minutes (approx.)
creator =
director =
producer =
writer =
starring = Sheren Tang
Gigi Lai
Maggie Cheung
Charmaine Sheh
Bowie Lam
Moses Chan
opentheme = "兒女" by
Bowie Lam
endtheme = "砒霜" by
Bowie Lam & Gigi Lai
country = flagicon|Hong Kong Hong Kong
language = Cantonese
network = TVB
first_aired = August 23,2004
last_aired =
October 2,2004
num_episodes = 30
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website = http://tvcity.tvb.com/drama/war_n_beauty

"War and Beauty" (金枝慾孽) was a 30-episode TV series broadcasted in Hong Kong in 2004 by TVB Jade starring Sheren Tang, Gigi Lai, Maggie Cheung, Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan and Rebecca Chan.

Meaning of Title

The meaning behind the title is rather interesting. Phonetically, at least in Cantonese, the title sounds exactly like the Chinese phrase "金枝玉葉" (literally translates to " [A tree with] golden branches and jade leaves"). This is a classical Chinese proverb used to describe aristocratic but unmarried women in feudal Chinese society. The proverb is also used to describe a lady from a privileged or aristocratic background.

The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth ideogramme being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phoentically similar "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".

Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show is pornographic in nature. While the show does deal with the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.

Cast

The Royal Harem

Other Major Characters

Synopsis

This show was set in the Forbidden City, in Qing Dynasty China in the late years of Emperor Jiaqing's rule. It focused on the power struggle between various Royal concubines trying to secure the Emperor's favor, with corruption, intrigue and outright deceit being the weapons of choice. These women were willing to manipulate, betray and even kill just about anyone in order to get what they wanted.

Throughout the later parts of the series, the inevitable results of this corruption become increasingly apparent. The main characters start to lose everything they care for, while being forced to conclude that they have only themselves to blame. In the meantime, corruption takes its toll on the outside world as well: the entire empire is destabilizing.

But none of that is a deterrent to the scheming women. On the contrary: even when the rebels make their way into the Forbidden City, the manipulators' first thoughts are as to how this situation may be used to their advantage. In the end, corruption itself is the only clear winner and many of those involved die or are forced to flee the City forever.

Ending of Main Characters

At the end of the series, many things come to a head. As the corruption of Qing Politics became all the more prevalent, the people of the country organize an armed rebellion. The rebellion was led by Kong-Wu's fraternal brother, Chen Shuang, who felt wronged during his time in the Palace and is seeking revenge. The rebel invasion of the Palace opened up some interesting opportunities, especially for the Empress, who tried to kill off her opposition and blame it on the rebels.

Sun Baiyang made an attempt to use the situation to escape with Er-Chun and Yu-Ying. However, Yu-Ying was unwilling to go with them, and Sun Baiyang made Kong-Wu promise that he will take Er-Chun out of the Forbidden Palace. After dealing with that, Sun Baiyang went to Yu-Ying residence to confront her. However the Empress was already aware of their affair, and while the two were in Yu-Ying's residence, the Empress' guards boarded up the entrances and set it on fire, causing both to be burned alive. Sun Baiyang's father, Sun Qinghwa, found out about his son's death when a raven carried his son's jade band and dropped it right in front of him as he waited for his son in the wilderness.

On-Qian, whose plan to exact revenge on the Empress for her grandmother's death was scuppered, hatched plans to leave the Palace with Kong-Wu and Er-Chun, who had lost all will to live in the Palace after her adoptive father, Xu Wan Tian, died. At the same time, The Consort Ru (Ru-Yue) was also invited to leave by the trio, but she refused to because she entered the Palace at the age of 16, and was unaccustomed to normal civilian life. Having survived an attack by several guards dressed up as rebels and having realized the true fate of Sun Baiyang and Yu-Ying, she went on to confront the Empress directly in her residence and appeared to regain her superior political position.

All was not over for the ones who successfully left. As the trio left the palace, On-Qian was shot by a stray arrow, the wound from which she would die of soon afterwards. Both sadly and romantically fitting, she died on Kong-Wu's shoulder while escaping in a horse cart. In the end, only Kong-Wu and Er-Chun successfully left the palace and, as hinted by the film, started a new life.

Memorable Quotes

"There will never be friends inside the Forbidden City, only treachery and trickery."

Consort Ru's Poem on the Handkerchief:
不愛宮牆柳
祇被前緣誤
花開花落自有時
總賴東君主
要走慶幸你心中有愛
要留只怪我心中仍然恨
如今就只好靠你
去償我們這個海闊天空的心願
珍重

Popularity and Criticism

This drama was very popular, almost unexpectedly so. Amongst Hong Kong's office workers, the feuding and shifting alliances of the Imperial women, with greater issues being sacrificed for personal piques and gains was taken as a metaphor for the office politics familiar to many. The exploits of their characters were followed in minute detail in online forums, with each betrayal or stab in the back leading to flaming, denunciations, accusations and denials amongst the rival factions. It created a high rating just below War of the Genders.

The show was not without its critics. Many sociologists, psychologists, and academics have criticized the show as promoting hatred and backstabbing as a "natural" matter in society, and fears that the drama will twist the youth's perception of social relationships in general. However, many ordinary citizens simply believe the show was a reflection of the real world.

When one such psychologist was asked about his views concerning the series, he stated "I think we must remind ourselves that even if the intentions of this [War and Beauty] are represented as merely fictitious harm, we should still focus on this harm non-the less, especially when its in respect to our youth"

However the creators and fans alike strongly deny such existence of 'harm', and that there is no sort of subliminal connotations behind the series.

Awards

Three of the actresses playing the concubines, GiGi Lai, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, were nominated as three of the five finalists for TVB Anniversary Awards' My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role, with GiGi Lai winning.

My Favourite Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bowie Lam for his role as a Chinese medical doctor/official in the show.

Home Video

"War and Beauty" was released on DVD and VCD a few months after its finale, and was a bestseller. It also became the first TVB drama to receive a DVD release, albeit a limited one. The DVD box was made of shiny gold cloth, with the drama's title woven on it with gold thread.

See also

*Corruption
*Forbidden City

External links

* [http://tvcity.tvb.com/drama/war_n_beauty/ Official Page of War and Beauty in TVB]