The most immediate drawback to this film is the dialogue. At times it's extremely stiff and stilted, or at least the translation is. But it's still a rather remarkable film for for it's time. Try to get past the whole "Phantom of the Opera in Chinese" thing. If you can get beyond that, and watch the film for what it is in its own right, I think it's far more enjoyable. The interplay between light and shadow in the setting is really interesting, and probably more interesting than the plot itself. It's also amazing how Westernized this is for a Chinese film, from the music in the score to the wardrobe, and really to the action scenes at the end of the movie.
Review of Song at Midnight
