MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, sociological*
FLAME was the first of three films by Hong Kong producer Tsui Hark, whose success spawned various imitators, such as the film I reviewed last month, DETECTIVE DEE: DEMON CURSE (2022). In that review I explained the relationship of the cinematic "Detective Dee" to his earlier progenitors, so I won't repeat myself here.
In the Tang Dynasty, Wu (Carina Lau) is about to be installed as China's first Empress. In line with the occasion, she's having a massive statue of the goddess Kuan Yin erected near her palace in Luoyang. However, a catastrophe occurs; one of the architects spontaneously combusts before the eyes of his workers. The Empress' soldiers investigate but can make no sense of the flaming death. Rumors of divine vengeance circulate, and when another architect perishes in the same fashion, the Empress fears that one of her many enemies is plotting against her. Thus she summons from a prison sentence the renowned Detective Dee (Andy Lau).
I won't attempt to break down the plot of FLAME, because for all the high-gloss production values, the movie's a lot like other Chinese detective-films: introducing many characters so rapidly that I for one couldn't keep track of them. The Empress's attendant Jing'erh (Bingbing Li) retrieves Dee from prison and more or less keeps an eye on him for Wu. Toward the movie's end, she seems to be one of the villains behind the killings-- but then, there's some suggestion that she was obeying the corrupt will of the Empress, and some other mastermind is behind the killings. Despite the strong probability that Wu has done evil things, her iniquity is essentially accepted because she's not only the historical ruler of Tang China, but the representative of Heaven's will. All very well, but the fatalism dampens the dramatic potential.
Speaking of Heaven, as with most mysteries the supernatural as such is not involved; the combustions are caused by what might be termed "weird obscure science." Despite the movie's shortcomings, though, Hark's ability to stage vivid kung-fu scenarios assures that this FLAME never burns dully.
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