History Film / GreenSnake

* ToBecomeHuman: Both sisters' ambition; not to be human ''per se'' but because humans are closer to Enlightenment then snakes.

* SnakesAreSexy: White Snake secures her marriage by seducing the scholar.
** When the sisters intertwine like the snakes they are, the effect is (unsurprisingly) quite erotic.
* StubbornMule: Fahai is incapable of seeing the injustice of his actions, despite everyone else (including Buddha) talking him out of it.

''Green Snake'' (青蛇) is a UsefulNotes/HongKong movie starring Creator/MaggieCheung and Joey Wong, directed by Tsui Hark and released in 1993. It is based on the eponymous novel by Lilian Lee, itself based on a famous Chinese folk tale.

* MisanthropeSupreme: Fahai looks down upon humans and doesn't consider himself to be one, as indicated by the opening scene, showing humans with hideous deformed faces. Disgusted, he mutters "''humans.''"
* NotSoAboveItAll: Fahai looks down upon humans, demons, and sexuality. [[spoiler: Green Snake finally proves he has feelings for her.]]

* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime: Fahai accidentally ruins everyone's lives (including his own) and is forced to live with the guilt over his actions.

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* NotSoHarmlessVillain: For all his antics and bad luck, the Taoist ''IS'' a knowledgeable demon hunter and proves to be capable of exploiting weaknesses. It's too bad that he [[TooDumbtoLive insists on picking a fight against opponents far smarter and more powerful than he is]]).

* VanHelsingHateCrimes: Fa-Hai is ''the'' definitive Eastern perpetrator of this trope. White Snake was doing nobody any harm as a scholar's wife and yet she's high on his hit list.

* DumbassHasaPoint: On numerous occasions, including:

** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motivated to become a true human, but after all the crap that she has to witness and endure, she kills the Scholar in anger. When [[StrawmanHasAPoint Fahai]] tries to chastise her for the murder, she angrily retorts that it is all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good in any supernatural being that he meets, he provoked all the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to endure. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which is even more painful for him given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: In the end, White Snake and all the other Buddhists die in the battle between Fahai and the snakes, the scholar is murdered, their child is orphaned, Green Snake losses her friends, and Fahai is forced to life with the consequences of his decisions]].
* DumbassHasaPoint: In numerous occasions, including:
** The scholar isn't sharp to realize that his lover is a supernatural being for most of the movie, but when Fahai explained the situation to him and tried to forced him out of it, the scholar insisted there's nothing wrong in what he's doing, noting that White Snake ''IS'' a good wife to him, and that Fahai is using religion to take decisions that aren't ''his'' to make.
** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motivated to become a true human, but after all the crap that she has to witness and pass for, she killed the Scholar in anger. When [[StrawmanHasAPoint Fahai]] tried to chastise her for her murder, she angrily retorts that it is all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good in any supernatural being that he meets, he provoked all the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to pass. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which is even more painfully to him to take given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).
** The Taoist might be the [[ButtMonkey most clumsy demon hunter in the planet]], but his knowledge over the beings that he's dealing with is [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight accurate]].

* FantasticRacism: ANY proposition to Fa-Hai the monk that love between humans and demons may be pure and decent WILL fall on deaf ears.
* GodIsGood: Buddha disapproves of Fahai's supernatural creature hunting and instead wants all creatures to ascend the karmic scales and achieve Enlightenment.
* HeelFaceTurn: The exorcist finally realizes the errors of his ways. [[spoiler: Sadly, it happens too late to change anything]].

* LawfulStupid: Fahai claims that he is doing what he is doing in sake for the celestial rules of the universe, but as the film shows for the beginning [[spoiler:even Buddha is disgusted by his actions]].
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: For all his antics and bad luck, the Taoist ''IS'' a knowledgeable demon hunter and proves to be capable to exploit weaknesses. It's too bad that he [[TooDumbtoLive insists in pick a fight against opponents far smarter and more powerful than he is]]).

* ShapeshiftingLover: White Snake. The story belongs to an entire genre of Chinese folk tales that depict love affairs between a man and a shapeshifting creature (usually a fox or a snake) who has assumed the guise of a beautiful woman. Unusually, she's not a pure evil temptress out to eat his essence.
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Not so much sympathetic ''per se'', but in comparison with Fahai, the Taoist demon hunter is a pathetic ButtMonkey whose attempts to fight off the protagonists [[FailureIstheOnlyOption only results in devastating amount of pain]] to him.
* MisanthropeSupreme: Fahai looks down upon humans and doesn't consider himself one, as indicated by the opening scene, showing humans with hideous deformed faces. Disgusted, he mutters "''humans.''"

** How many times will the taotist try to fight the protagonists until he learns that the only thing that he will get from them is [[CurbStompBattle his ass handed to him]]?
* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime: Fahai accidently ruins everyone's lives (including his own) and is forced to life with the guilty over his actions.
* ToBecomeHuman: Both sisters' ambition; not to be human ''per say'' but because humans are closer to Enlightenment then snakes.
* VanHelsingHateCrimes: Fa-Hai is ''the'' definitive Eastern perpetrator of this trope. White Snake was doing nobody harm as a scholar's wife and yet she's high on his hit list.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Green_Snake_3.jpg]]

'''''Green Snake''''' (青蛇) is a UsefulNotes/HongKong movie starring Creator/MaggieCheung and Joey Wong, directed by Tsui Hark and released in 1993. It is based on the eponymous novel by Lilian Lee, itself based on a famous Chinese folk tale.

* [[GodIsGood Buddha is Good]]: He disapproves of Fahai's supernatural creature hunting and instead wants all creatures to ascend the karmic scales and achieve Enlightenment.

* [[spoiler: DownerEnding: In the end, White Snake and all the other Buddhists die in the battle between Fahai and the snakes, the scholar is murdered, their child is orphaned, Green Snake losses her friends, and Fahai is forced to life with the consequences of his decisions]].

'''''Green Snake''''' (青蛇) is a HongKong movie starring MaggieCheung and Joey Wong, directed by Tsui Hark and released in 1993. It is based on the eponymous novel by Lilian Lee, itself based on a famous Chinese folk tale.

** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motivated to become a true human, but after all the crap that she has to witness and pass for, she killed the Scholar in anger. When [[StrawmanHasAPoint Fahai]] tried to chastise her for her murder, she angrily retorts that's all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good any supernatural being that he meets, he provocated al the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to pass. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which is even more painfully to him to take given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).
** The Taotist might be the [[ButtMonkey most clumsy demon hunter in the planet]], but his knowledge over the beings that he's dealing with is [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight accurate]].

** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motivated to become a true human, but after all the crap that she has to witness and pass for, she killed the Scholar in anger. When [[StrawmanHasaPoint Fahai tried to chastise her for her murder, she angrily retorts that's all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good any supernatural being that he meets, he provocated al the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to pass. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which is even more painfully to him to take given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).

* SnakesAreSexy: White Snake secures her marriage by seducing the scholar.

White Snake, in her guise as a beautiful young maiden, seduces a scholar and intends to bear his child in order to complete her passage in the human realm. But her young sister Green Snake isn't nearly as good, and occasionally allows her serpent nature to slip through--she still has a taste for bugs and sometimes finds crawling on the floor easier than walking. Both need to hide from a fanatical exorcist who considers shapeshifting creatures to be an offense to the natural order.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:In the end, White Snake and all the other Buddhists die in the battle of Fahai and the snakes, the scholar is murdered, their child becomes orphan, Green Snake lost her friends, and Fahai is forced to life with the consequences of his decisions]].
* DumbassHasaPoint: [[UptoEleven In numerous occasions]], including:
** The scholar isn't very sharp to realize that his lover is a supernatural being on most part of the movie, but when Fahai explained the situation to him and tried to forced him out of it, the scholar insisted there's nothing wrong in what he's doing, noting that White Snake ''IS'' a good wife to him, and that Fahai is using religion to take decisions that aren't ''his'' to make.
** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motivated to become a true human, but after [[DespairEventHorizon all the crap that she has to witness and pass for]], [[MoralEventHorizon she killed the Scholar in anger]]. When [[StrawmanHasaPoint Fahai tried to chastise her for her murder]], she [[HannibalLecture angrily retorts]] that's all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good any supernatural being that he meets , he provocated al the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to pass. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which is even more painfully to him to take given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).
** The Taotist might be the [[ButtMonkey most clumsy demon hunter in the planet]], but his knowledge over the beings that he's dealing with is [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight quite accurate]].

* HeelFaceTurn: The exorcist finally realizes the errors of his ways. [[spoiler: Sadly, too late to change anything, though]].

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: For all his antics and bad luck, the Taoist ''IS'' a knowledgeable demon hunter and proves to be capable to exploit it's weaknesses (too bad that he [[TooDumbtoLive insists in pick a fight against opponents far smarter and more powerful than he is]]).
* OutdoorBathPeeping
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld
* RoaringRampageofRescue
* ShapeshiftingLover: White Snake. The story belongs to an entire genre of Chinese folk tales that depict love affairs between a man and a shapeshifting creature (usually a fox or a snake) who has assumed the guise of a beautiful woman.
** Rather unusually, this time she's not a pure evil temptress out to eat his essence. Refreshing, really.
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Not so much sympathetic ''per se'', but in comparison with Fahai, the Taoist demon hunter is a pathetic ButtMonkey whose attempts to fight off the protagonists [[FailureIstheOnlyOption only results in]] [[EpicFail devastating amount of pain]] to him.
* SnakesAreSexy
* StubbornMule: Fahai seems to be incapable to see the injustice of his actions, despite everyone else (including Buddha) talking him out of it.
* TemptingFate: Buddha teaches Fahai early in the story that his prejudices against demons goes against the celestial rules that he tries to pass to others. He soon [[AesopAmnesia forget his lesson]], and for trying to force the scholar to become a Buddhist and separating him from white snake, [[DownerEnding everybody pays for that]].
** And Green Snake trying to prove that Fahai isn't as pure than he claims? Well, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero She succeeds]] [[GoneHorriblyRight to prove]] [[FromBadtoWorse her point]].
** How many times will the taotist try to fight the protagonists until he learns that the only fting that he will get from them is [[CurbStompBattle his ass handed to him]]?

* ToBecomeHuman: Both sisters' ambition.
* VanHelsingHateCrimes: Fa-Hai is ''the'' definitive Eastern perpetrator of this trope.
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: [[TooDumbtoLive Dare to]] kidnap the Scholar from White Snake, and she and her friend will unleash the [[BoltofDivineRetribution forces of the nature upon your ass]].
* InspectorJavert: This one, too.

'''''Green Snake''''' (青蛇) is a HongKong movie starring MaggieCheung, directed by Tsui Hark and released in 1993. It is based on the eponymous novel by Lilian Lee, itself based on a famous Chinese folk tale.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:In the end, White Snake and all the other buddhists die in the battle of Fahai and the snakes, the scholar is murdered, their child becomes orphan, Green Snake lost her friends, and Fahai is forced to life with the consequences of his decisions]].

** The scholar isn't very sharp to realise that his lover is a supernatural being on most part of the movie, but when Fahai explained the situation to him and tried to forced him out of it, the scholar insisted there's nothing wrong in what he's doing, noting that White Snake ''IS'' a good wife to him, and that Fahai is using religion to take decisions that aren't ''his'' to make.
** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motived to become a true human, but after [[DespairEventHorizon all the crap that she has to witness and pass for]], [[MoralEventHorizon she killed the Scholar in anger]]. When [[StrawmanHasaPoint Fahai tried to chatise her for her murder]], she [[HannibalLecture angrily retorts]] that's all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good any supernatural being that he meets , he provocated al the events in the movie and the ultimate tragedy that they all had to pass. Although disgusted, Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point (which's even more painfully to him to take given that ''Buddha HIMSELF'' tried to warn him about the consequences of his prejudices).

* LawfulStupid: Fahai claims that he is doing what he is doing in sake for the celestial rules of the universe, but as te film show for the beginning [[spoiler:even Buddha is disgusted by his actions]].
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: For all his antics and bad luck, te Taotist ''IS'' a knownledged demon hunter and proved to be capable to exploit it's weaknesses (too bad that he [[TooDumbtoLive insists in pick a fight against oponents far smarter and more powerful than he is]]).

** Rather unusually, this time she's not a pure evil temptress out to eat his essence. Refreshing, really.
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Not so much of sympathic ''per ser'', but in comparation with Fahai, the Taotist demon hunter is a pathetic ButtMonkey whose attempts to fight off the protagonists [[FailureIstheOnlyOption only results in]] [[EpicFail devastating amount of pain]] to him.

* TemptingFate: Buddha teaches Fahai early in the story that his prejudices against demons goes against the celestial rules that he tries to pass to others. He soon [[AesopAmnesia forget his lesson]], and for trying to force the scholar to become a buddhist and separating him from white snake, [[DownerEnding everybody pays for that]].

* ThePunishmentIsTheCrime: Fahai accidently ruins everyone's lifes (including his own) and is forced to life with the guilty over his actions.

* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: [[TooDumbtoLive Dare to]] kidnapp the Scholar from White Snake, and she and her friend will unleash the [[BoltofDivineRetribution forces of the nature upon your ass]].

** Green Snake isn't very skilled or motived to become a true human, but after all the crap that she has to witness, she kills the Scholar in anger. When [[StrawmanHasaPoint Fahai tried to chatise her for her murder]], she [[HannibalLecture angrily retorts]] that's all his fault, since that in his refusal to see any good in demons, he provocated their wrath and leads to the deatha of everyone that he cared for. Fahai has no choice but to sadly concede to her point.

* TemptingFate: Buddha teaches Fahai early in the story that his prejudices against demons goes against the celestial rules that he tries to pass to others. He soon [[AesopAmnesia forget his lesson]], and for trying to force the scholar to become a buddhist and separating him from white snake, [[DownerEnding everybody pays for that]].e than he claims? Well, Se succeeds to prove her point.
** How many times will the taotist try to fight the protagonists until he learns that the only fting that he will get from them is his ass handed to him?
** And Green Snake trying to prove that Fahai isn't as pur

** Rather unusually, this time she's not a pure evil temptress out to eat his essence. Refreshing, really.

* TemptingFate: Buddha teaches Fahai early in the story that his prejudices against demons goes against the celestial rules that he tries to pass to others. He soon [[AesopAmnesia forget his lesson]], and for trying to force the scholar to become a buddhist and separating him from white snake, [[DownerEnding everybody pays for that]].

* SnakesAreSexyStubborn Mule

* HeelFaceTurn: The exorcist finally realizes the errors of his ways.

* SnakesAreSexy