The Three Acts:
The initial tableaux: Sequel to Painted Skin (2008). Five hundred years have passed since the fox demon Xiaowei was imprisoned in the original film. The bird demon Quer helped Xiaowei escape, and travels with her. Xiaowei has a habit of eating the hearts of human men whom she had seduced. She does this to regenerate the pleasing side of her visible form.
Xiaowei rather disliked the time in the frost prison, and looks for a change to her life. She encounters Princess Jing and Huo Xin, the warrior who was entrusted to guard Jing. However, Jing's face was disfigured on Huo Xin's watch. He blames himself for this; Jing had a golden mask made to cover it.
Delineation of conflicts: Xiawei comes to like Jing and Xin. She sees a process to become mortal, but it involves bringing harm to Jing and Xin. Jing would like her own beauty restored, but the cost might be steep indeed. The Tian Lang state would like to make inroads in Jing's kingdom; Jing and company would rather that not happen. Tian Lang's true motives are darker.
Resolution: One might guess how the film's climax comes to pass, but difficult choices are involved. Are the principal characters up to it?
The initial tableaux: Sequel to Painted Skin (2008). Five hundred years have passed since the fox demon Xiaowei was imprisoned in the original film. The bird demon Quer helped Xiaowei escape, and travels with her. Xiaowei has a habit of eating the hearts of human men whom she had seduced. She does this to regenerate the pleasing side of her visible form.
Xiaowei rather disliked the time in the frost prison, and looks for a change to her life. She encounters Princess Jing and Huo Xin, the warrior who was entrusted to guard Jing. However, Jing's face was disfigured on Huo Xin's watch. He blames himself for this; Jing had a golden mask made to cover it.
Delineation of conflicts: Xiawei comes to like Jing and Xin. She sees a process to become mortal, but it involves bringing harm to Jing and Xin. Jing would like her own beauty restored, but the cost might be steep indeed. The Tian Lang state would like to make inroads in Jing's kingdom; Jing and company would rather that not happen. Tian Lang's true motives are darker.
Resolution: One might guess how the film's climax comes to pass, but difficult choices are involved. Are the principal characters up to it?