Date: 2009-02-22 21:13 Subject: DVD commentary 1 Security: Public Tags: meme, yuletide

Commentary requested by xsmoonshine for The Heart of Autumn (Li Mu-bai/Yu Shu-lien, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)


This was written for Yuletide 2007. I had foolishly signed up in spite of finding most of the fandoms frighteningly unfamiliar. And of course, the fandom and pairing I was assigned to write was the one I was least familiar with, not having watched CTHD since its release 7 years before.

The central theme arose from a vague idea based on the word 愁 (melancholy), which seemed most appropriate for what essentially seemed to be a relationship characterized by loss and regrets for missed opportunities. 愁 is composed of the words for autumn (秋) and heart (心), which again (and this is terribly pretentious, so please bear with me) conjured up images of Mu-bai and Shu-lien, past the first flush of youth but still (perhaps more) constrained by the bond between them, Shu-lien's dead fiance who was Mu-bai's sworn brother, to the extent that they cannot even speak clearly (at least for much of the movie anyway) of their feelings for each other.
Bearing that in mind, I watched the film again, and this is the result.


A Mid-Autumn Festival invitation from the protection agency reaches Li Mu Bai three days before the night itself. He turns the paper over and over in his hand as he stares out the window, while the messenger awaits his reply.

"Stay overnight, you have ridden hard and fast to reach here."

"It is a long way back, Master Li, and I would not like to disappoint Miss Shu Lien."

The swordsman looks down at the familiar writing. A memory rises unbidden, like the moon, and swiftly clouds over.

Mid-Autumn Festival = 中秋节. Not actually a reunion festival, unlike Chinese New Year, but I was thinking of people being comforted by the idea that their loved ones somewhere else are looking at the same full moon and thinking of them. The English transliteration of the names is how the subtitles looked.

It has been ten years since Mu Bai last celebrated the festival at the agency, on the night that Shu Lien's betrothal to Si Zhao was announced. He had always been most keenly aware of his sworn brother's absence at this time; the invitation surprised him, since he had supposed that she felt the same way.

Meng Si-zhao was killed while protecting Li Mu-bai during a fight; Mu-bai felt doubly guilty because he had been unable to express romantic feelings for Si-zhao's fiancee, Yu Shu-lien, due to his sworn brotherhood with Si-zhao. Shu-lien feels the same way, but not as Mu-bai supposes i.e. that she does not want his presence to reawaken painful memories.

The festivities have already started at a long table and several benches specially arranged in the large practice area. Mu Bai notes that racks of brightly polished weapons are still in their places along the walls, ready for use if necessary, even at this time of celebration.

As shown in the film. Shu-lien and Jen (Jiao-long) would later conveniently obtain their weapons from the racks during their spectacular showoffdown.

He steps through the side door as silently as possible, stopping a little distance behind Shu Lien standing in the garden gazing at the moon, and does not notice the housekeeper Mrs Wu bustling in from the kitchen balancing two large platters, until she exclaims, "Shu Lien, look who's arrived!"

He would have liked to look at Shu Lien a little longer, but she whirls around and strides towards him, and he feels his gaze unequal to the light in her eyes.

"Thank you for coming, Mu Bai."

"How are you keeping, Shu Lien?"

"We manage. Business has recently improved. Are you well? Rumor has it that you will be going into solitary meditation soon."

She pauses and looks up at him; when he nods but does not speak, her lips part slightly before pursing in a smile that does not quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you for joining us before your retreat."

The mention of his retreat (归隐) places the events of this story shortly before the opening of CTHD, when Mu-bai has just returned from years of meditation in seclusion.

Some members of the agency have returned to their families and hometowns for the festival, but those who live on the premises are making the best of the evening with merry talk and games, fuelled by the wine and moon-cakes specially prepared by Mrs Wu. Mu Bai, who has taken a cup for the sake of the occasion, is prevailed upon for a demonstration after the men have had several drinks. Shu Lien mixes the ink for him and pretends not to notice Mrs Wu's wink and grin, as the rest crowd around to watch him write. Like his swordplay, the graceful movements of his brush are as light as a breeze through the forest even as they leave a deep impression with every stroke.

Shu Lien reads aloud: " 'Hundred years, thousand autumns'. Thus may we all flourish forever!" This is met with applause and shouts of approval as the scroll is held up for all to see, and even those who are unable to read more than their names express wholehearted admiration for Master Li's calligraphy.

百年千秋 - had to look up my dictionary of proverbs and several websites. Means exactly what it says, though it is more neutral, and not overused unlike the traditional 天长地久 (thanks to the Solvil et Titus ads). Of course, nothing lasts forever (foreshadowing ahoy!)

The men make their farewells to sleep off the drink in their quarters (or, Shu Lien suspects but lets it pass for tonight, to continue their celebrations on the town). It is a fine night for admiring the bright full moon, high in a cloudless sky studded with innumerable stars. Shu Lien regrets that she does not have the words to describe the sight, and smiles at Mu Bai's face upturned to the moon.

I imagine that Shu-lien isn't much for words - she lets her actions speak louder. Pity Mu-bai can't or won't listen.

Green Destiny is on the table between them, half-covering the four words on the scroll. The scabbard gleams iridescently by moonlight, the intricate carvings on its surface appearing to ripple with a verdant sheen. It is the first time Shu Lien has seen Mu Bai's sword in this light, ever since she admired it when they first met at that Mid-Autumn Festival so many years ago.

"I remember when you used to compose long poems for our Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations."

Mu Bai smiles at her as he absently traces the lines of his sword. "That was when I was young, though even then I seldom had the words or the inspiration, unlike Brother Si Zhao -"

Shu Lien looks up from Green Destiny just as the stricken look is replaced by his usual composed expression. His fingers hover above the sword, flexing involuntarily before they uncurl and rest beside the word "autumn", inches from her hand.

I think Mu-bai wasn't reaching for the sword.

"Will you return for next New Year's reunion dinner?"

"This may be our last meeting for some time, Shu Lien; even after my meditations are complete there is other business to attend to, especially in these troubled times. You must have noticed that the agency has been hired more frequently - for good reason."

IMHO the reason Mu-bai keeps going on those meditations is to avoid people repeatedly coming to petition his support for various rebellions to overthrow the Qing dynasty - said rebellions being funded in no small part by appropriating money and goods being transported through literal forests in the 武林, hence the need for protection agencies.

A tide of anger and sadness washes over her, which she masters yet again with the knowledge of duty instilled by her father and owed to her fiancé. Both of them cold and still, like how her feelings for Mu Bai should be, but are not. She is recalled to herself by Mu Bai making an effort to sound brighter.

"My master once said that nothing is permanent: all things change, and these troubles too shall pass. I will come back as soon as I can, Shu Lien."

His master is a Taoist. Shu-lien's a realist.

"I will be here. Until then - "

She tries to add the character for "heart" below his "autumn", but the ink is almost dry, so the word "melancholy" is only visible with difficulty.

"The 'heart' should be clearer, Mu Bai, but you must be able to see it..."

It sounded better (in my head at least) in Mandarin, honest. *facepalm*

He does not answer. She stares dry-eyed at her writing, which is already starting to fade.

Mu Bai stands up and politely wishes her a good night before taking his leave. They are both aware that it is not proper for a man and woman to be alone in the same room in the middle of the night. An owl hoots, a solitary sound in a garden illuminated only by the light of the moon.

Since I couldn't be sure that my recipient knew Mandarin, even after checking out her LJ, explanatory notes: It is a custom for Chinese people to admire the full moon while enjoying moon-cakes and wine, and composing poetry, on the night of the Mid-Autumn (literally, 中 秋 - the middle or heart of Autumn) Festival. The four characters which Mu Bai wrote are 百岁千秋 which literally mean the way Shu Lien read them. Together the phrase means "everlasting". The word "愁" meaning "sadness" is formed from the characters 秋 (autumn) and 心 (heart).