Mural (film)

2011 Hong Kong film

Mural

Promotional poster

Directed by| Gordon Chan
Screenplay by| Gordon Chan
Frankie Tam
Maria Wong
Lau Ho Leung
Based on| Strange Tales of a Lonely Studio
by Pu Songling
Produced by| Abe Kwong
Gordon Chan
Starring| Deng Chao
Sun Li
Yan Ni
Collin Chou
Zheng Shuang
Eric Tsang
Cinematography| Mark Lee
Edited by| Chan Kei Hop
Music by| Ikurō Fujiwara

Production
companies

Beijing Enlight Pictures
Top Gun Productions
Anhui Television

Distributed by| Beijing Enlight Pictures (China)
Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (Hong Kong)

Release dates

* 29 September 2011 (2011-09-29) (China)
* 13 October 2011 (2011-10-13) (Hong Kong)

Running time

| 123 minutes
Countries| Hong Kong[1]
China[1]
Language| Mandarin
Box office| 185 million RMB

Mural (simplified Chinese: 画壁; traditional Chinese: 畫壁; pinyin: Huà Bì; Jyutping: Waa6 Bik1) is a 2011 fantasy film co-written, co-produced and directed by Gordon Chan, which stars Deng Chao, Sun Li, Yan Ni, Collin Chou, Zheng Shuang and Eric Tsang.[2] A Hong Kong-Chinese co-production,[1] it is directed by the same director who directed Painted Skin (2008). Both stories are drawn from Pu Songling's (1640–1715) collection of supernatural tales Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.[3]

## Plot

[edit]

The scholar Zhu Xiaolian and his page Hou Xia, on their way to the capital to take the imperial examination, encounter a bandit named Meng Longtan and engage in a fierce fight. Eventually, they arrive at an ancient temple where they are persuaded to reconcile by the Monk BuDong. In the temple, Zhu Xiaolian discovers a mural depicting lifelike figures. While gazing at the mural, Zhu is taken into a fairyland called the "WanHuaLin(Forest of Ten Thousand Flowers)" by a fairy named Peony who emerges from the painting.

In the WanHuaLin, there are no men, only a group of beautiful fairies living under the strict rule of a leader known as "Auntie." Despite their unique skills, the fairies are oppressed by Auntie's authoritarian rule. Auntie forbids them from having feelings for men and is ruthless towards any man who dares to enter the fairyland without permission. In this peculiar paradise, Zhu Xiaolian meets the successor fairy Shaoyao, who helps him avoid being discovered by Auntie and safely return to the human world. However, Peony is caught by Auntie for bringing a man into the fairyland.

Upon returning to his world, Zhu Xiaolian finds that Peony on the mural is suffering as a punishment, and his page informs him that the mural is a depiction of hell. Out of a sense of righteousness, Zhu Xiaolian decides to return to the "Painting Wall" world. With the help of the Monk BuDong, Zhu Xiaolian, along with Hou Xia and Meng Longtan, enters the fairyland. To their surprise, Auntie welcomes the three guests and invites them to choose wives from among the fairies to continue the lineage of the Forest of Ten Thousand Flowers. To avoid suspicion, Zhu Xiaolian pretends to choose Peony's friend Cui Zhu as his wife, while Hou Xia and Meng Longtan also select their wives, unaware that Auntie plans to kill them after using them. Learning that Peony has been detained by Auntie, Zhu Xiaolian seeks Shaoyao's help to rescue her, embarking on a series of magical adventures.

## Cast

[edit]

* Deng Chao as Zhu Xiaolian
* Sun Li as Shaoyao
* Yan Ni as The Aunt
* Collin Chou as Meng Longtan
* Zheng Shuang as Mudan
* Eric Tsang as Monk Budong (guest star)
* Andy On as Golden Warrior
* Monica Mok as Ding Xiang
* Ada Liu as fairy Yunmei
* Bao Wenjing as Baihe
* Xia Yiyao as Xuelian
* Bao Beier as Hou Xia, Zhu's servant
* Du Shiwu as housekeeper
* Xie Nan as Fairy Cuizhu

## Theme music

[edit]

The title song for the movie is also named "Mural". The singers are Deng Chao and Betty Sun.[citation needed]

## Accolades

[edit]

Zheng Shuang won the Best New Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Award for her performance.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Elley, Derek (19 July 2017). "Review: Mural (2011)". Sino-Cinema. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
2. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 89\. ISBN 978-1908215017.
3. ^ Q&A: Gordon Chan Talks About 'The Mural', The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2011 (retrieved on October 17, 2011).
4. ^ "郑爽喜获新演员金奖 受香港电影导演协会肯定". Sina. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Mural at IMDb

* v
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* e

Works by Gordon Chan

Films directed|

* 18 Golden Destroyers (1985)
* The Yuppie Fantasia (1989)
* Brief Encounter in Shinjuku (1990, also writer)
* Fight Back to School (1991, also writer)
* Inspector Pink Dragon (1991)
* Fight Back to School II (1992, also writer)
* Gameboy Kids (1992, also writer)
* King of Beggars (1992, also writer)
* The Long and Winding Road (1994, also writer)
* The Final Option (1994, also writer)
* Fist of Legend (1994, also writer)
* Thunderbolt (1995, also writer)
* First Option (1996, also writer)
* Armageddon (1997, also writer and producer)
* Beast Cops (1998, also writer and producer)
* 2000 AD (2000, also writer)
* Okinawa Rendez-vous (2000, also writer and producer)
* Cat and Mouse (2003, also writer)
* The Medallion (2003, also writer)
* A-1 Headline (2004, also writer and producer)
* Kung Fu Master (2005)
* Mr. 3 Minutes (2006, also producer)
* Painted Skin (2008, also writer and producer)
* The King of Fighters (2010)
* Mural (2011, also writer and producer)
* The Four (2012, also writer and producer)
* The Four II (2013)
* The Four III (2014)
* The Treasure (2017)
* God of War (2017)

Films produced|

* The Vineyard (1989)
* Neverending Summer (1992)
* 1001 Nights (1995)
* Cause We Are So Young (1997)
* Option Zero (1997)
* Hitman (1998)
* When I Look Upon the Stars (1999)
* Heroes in Love (2001)
* Funeral March (2001)
* Every Dog Has His Date (2001)
* Time 4 Hope (2002)
* Curse of Lola (2005)
* Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010, also writer)
* Coming Back (2011, also writer)
* Manhunt (2017, also writer)

Films written only|

* Behind the Yellow Line (1984)
* Dragons Forever (1988)
* Double Fattiness (1988)
* Heart to Hearts (1988)
* The Big Heat (1988)
* Diary of a Small Man (1989)
* The Cat (1991)
* Hard Boiled (1992)
* She Starts the Fire (1992)
* The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994)
* Daisy (2006)
* Undercover Hidden Dragon (2006)

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