The Duke of Mount Deer (2000)
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Contents
Details
- Title: 鹿鼎記 / Lu Ding Ji
- Episodes: 40
- Broadcast network: CTS
- Broadcast year: 2000
Synopsis
This TVB production is a more recent, and somewhat more loose adapation of Jin Yong's last and most unique Wuxia novel "The Deer and the Cauldron". The story is centred around an uneducated street urchin Wei Xiao Bao, who was born and raised in a brothel by his mother. Through a series of misdaventures, he managed to make his way from the southern playground of Yangzhou to Beijing, the seat of Manchurian imperial power, and bumbling accidently into a fateful encounter with young Emperor Kang Xi. By hook or by crook, but also through a genuine concern and fierce loyalty towards his "mate" the Emperor, Xiao Bao found himself in the greatest of confidences and a complicated friendship of one of the most eminent monarchs of Chinese history.
The plot follows Xiao Bao on a rags to riches journey as Xiao Bao becomes embroiled in political and court intrigues, overcoming enemies for Kang Xi and accomplishing amazing achievements. Along the way, Xiao Bao meets with and successfully woos seven beautiful women, climbs his way up the social ladder from brothel boy to great lord and nobleman, acquiring titles such as Imperial Emissary and Plenipotenitary, Ambassador, general and admiral- courtesy of Kang Xi- as well as finding himself in positions completely at odds with the above: Green Wood Lodge Master of the Heaven and Earth Guild (a precusor of the modern-day triads), and White Dragon Marshal of the Mystical Dragons Sect.
In the end, however, Xiao Bao could not reconcile his two separate lives- as an anti-Qing rebel and Kang Xi's devoted courtier. He chose to offer up his own life- in return for the Emperor's munificence towards him and also as an honourable way out of the Heaven and Earth Sect. Pained and aggrieved beyond words, Kang Xi orders the execution of his one and only true friend. Afterwards, plagued by loss and guilt, Kang Xi took a long walk along the Great Wall, asking heaven for guidance- only to be happily surprised by the appearance of Xiao Bao, who didn't die after all (!). After saving his mate's life once again, Xiao Bao bades goodbye to Kang Xi, reaffirming their friendship which will, from that point onwards, remain in the minds and memories of the two men.
Cast
- Dicky Cheung Wai Kin as Wei Xiao Bo
- Hsu Chi as Little Goldfish
- Ruby Lin as Princess Jian Ning
- Annie Wu Ng Sun Kwan as Seung Yi
- Cheung Sai as Mu Jian Ping
- Chung Yan Tung as Purple Rose
- Athena Chu Yun as Ah Ke
- Teresa Mak Ka Kei as Fang Yi
- Monica Chan Fat Yung as Long Yi
- Patrick Tam Yiu Man as Emperor Kang Xi
- Ng Man Dat as Eunuch Hai Dafu
- Tsui Kam Kong as Ao Bai
- Ekin Cheng as Chan Jian Nan
Review
This review emphasises the phrase "loose adapation". Although the plot of the show mostly followed Jin Yong's story, with most of Xiao Bao's adventures being portrayed (approx. 75%), the most fundamental changes were made in the characters of the novel. Jin Yong's Xiao Bao is a teenage scamp who is a very human, but also very loyal coward who uses more tricks than he does kung fu and who also happened to be incredibly lucky. Dicky Cheung's Xiao Bao relied less of luck, being portrayed as a brilliant if somewhat underhanded strategician, a crazy and sometimes annoying, but lovable hero who also became a martial arts master at the end of the show. The TVB production also made Xiao Bao's various armourous conquests more emotionally satisfying, with him going through at least one hair-raising life-and-death experience with each of his wives. Some of these changes in Xiao Bao's personality is at odds with Jin Yong's aim- to create a satirical character who is completely different to all his other Wuxia protagonists.
In addition, some characters found in the original novel were lost- Zu Reng, a low-profile character who was supposed to be one of Xiao Bao's seven wives were taken out. This is a minor change that does not affect the overall plot of the story. Madame Hong was also replaced with a hybrid character Long Yi, who is the fake Empress Dowager-cum-Hong An Tong's foster daughter. Songgotu, a Manchurian nobleman who became sworn brothers with Xiao Bao was replaced by Dolong, the Chief Intendent of the royal guards.
Althought the story is set in the late 1600's, Emperor Kang Xi, Xiao Bao and his mother, as well as several of his wives (most notably Fang Yi), seems to have waltzed out of modern Hong Kong into rennaissance China, with speech and intonations that may be somewhat irksome to a viewer wanting a period drama. However, this style, along with the gaffs mentioning "Huan Zhu Ge Ge", Jin Yong himself, crash dieting and Alzheimer's disease all add to the humour to a story that is meant to be a comedy, as well as creating an air of timelessness that echoed well with Jin Yong's theme- a novel based on a realistic world of duplicity, where the best and brightest is not often what they seemed, where successes may not necessarily be based on merit and achievement but also how one plays the political game, how loyalties can be fiercely divided but still be true.
Despite these differences, overall the theme of the show kept well with that of the original. The story is, as mentioned previously, the last of Jin Yong's novels. It is completely different to all his previous Wuxia novels, whose protagonists are brilliant kung fu masters with a noble cause or aim, where the plot is invariably good versus evil, with the good guys always coming out on top at the end. The earlier novels are also centred very much along a nationalistic theme, which is not surprising given Jin Yong's heritage and his great pride in his Chinese (Han) ancestry. In "The Deer and the Cauldron" (aka "Duke of Mount Deer"), all these themes have been turned on their head. It may merely represent a desire of Jin Yong to write a different novel, after producing a large number of similar ones- but many readers/viewers feel that this last novel is Jin Yong's best book of all.
Why? Perhaps it's because we're all Wei Xiao Bao's in some ways. With a few rare exceptions, human beings generally are cowards. Unlike the typical Wuxia hero, we don't go out of our way to seek death. If it's possible to get out of a situation via an easy way out, then nine times out of ten, we'll take it! If the easy way out is somewhat underhanded, then so be it. Wei Xiao Bao is very human, very realistic- and does not make one feel guilty about one's own life choices. On the flip side, Xiao Bao is also very loyal. He is not honourable in the traditional Wuxia sense, happily going forward and dying for a cause- but he is a good friend, a true mate who may not give two hoots about his friends' causes (Kang Xi's burgeoning empire or the Triad's hatred of the Manchurian invaders), but once he is a friend, he will remain loyal to the very end- even if it meant walking out on a life of wealth and rank.
The nationalistic theme is also missing in the Duke of Mount Deer. No longer are the Han Chinese the suffering heroes who could do no wrong, nor are the invading hordes from the north a mass of cruel barbarians. In the original novel, and in Wong Jing's production, Kang Xi is a smart, hard-working and genuinely caring man who is simply trying to do the best job he can as Emperor of a people who didn't always accept him. In regards to Kang Xi's personality, the degree of historical accuracy is unclear- but the fact is that he is remembered as one of the most revered monarchs in Chinese history. And yet he is not Han. Many times in the show, and in the novel, statements were made to the effect of "it doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, a cat that catches mice is a good cat" (a quote from Chinese President Deng Xiao Ping). Does it matter the race, colour or creed of the leader, as long as he or she has the best interests of the people at heart? Yet the rebels of the Heaven and Earth Guild did not understand this- the Manchurians may have invaded their homeland, killed thousands and ravaged the country, but which Founding Emperor (Han or otherwise), did not? And what of the other reason for the fall of the Ming- not only because of external marauaders, but the corruption and decadence from within the Ming court? This irony is even better portrayed in Wong Jing's production, with Wu De Di plotting time after time to kill and overthrow a good Emperor, who may very well be replaced by the useless, snivelling and back-stabbing Zheng Ke Shaung (of Taiwan). This anti-nationalist idea rings true in this modern world of chaos, particularly in regions of the world where a single people are divided violently along religious or ethnic lines.