I bought this because it was made to sound like a horror movie. It's not - it's a fairy tale. It's actually a very sweet fairy tale, much in line with stories like "The Little Mermaid" (NOT the Disney version) where a girl who is not quite human falls for a human man and has to choose between her world and his.
(Possible spoilers)
In this tale, a woman living in the jungle with her brute of a husband falls in love with a snake spirit (a really cool giant boa constrictor who can change into a handsome man) while her husband is away. She gets pregnant and when her husband finds out that it's not his, he kills her. He splits her stomach open, and kills all the little snakes she carries - except one. One baby snake escapes and is found by a holy hermit, who realizes what it is (since it is also sometimes a human baby girl) and raises her in a cave.
Years later, three children are playing in the river which flows by the cave and the girl tries to make friends with them, only to be rebuffed because she looks dirty and uncivilized - then they pull off her headscarf to reveal the true oddity - she has a head of snakes instead of hair!
The children flee, as does the poor girl. Again time passes, and one of the boys (one who was nice to her before) falls into the river and she rescues him. The hermit gives her magic to make herself look normal, so she can tend the young man without frightening him. He ends up taking her back to his home as a sort of adopted sister (much to the chagrin of his arranged fiancée, who is a complete stuck-up type).
The movie climaxes in a magical battle between the hermit and a midwife/witch enlisted by the fiancée to get rid of the snake girl.
Cool things about the film: First, the head of snakes. They're not special effects - they're actual snakes!! I wonder if the audition for the part of the snake girl started with a questionnaire "Would you let us slap some snakes onto your head? OK you've got the part!" It looks really cool. Second, there's a long sequence where the young man and the snake girl run around some really cool ruins. The place is soooooo neat.
It may not be worth buying, but it is interesting to watch, particularly if you're into comparative folklore.
(Possible spoilers)
In this tale, a woman living in the jungle with her brute of a husband falls in love with a snake spirit (a really cool giant boa constrictor who can change into a handsome man) while her husband is away. She gets pregnant and when her husband finds out that it's not his, he kills her. He splits her stomach open, and kills all the little snakes she carries - except one. One baby snake escapes and is found by a holy hermit, who realizes what it is (since it is also sometimes a human baby girl) and raises her in a cave.
Years later, three children are playing in the river which flows by the cave and the girl tries to make friends with them, only to be rebuffed because she looks dirty and uncivilized - then they pull off her headscarf to reveal the true oddity - she has a head of snakes instead of hair!
The children flee, as does the poor girl. Again time passes, and one of the boys (one who was nice to her before) falls into the river and she rescues him. The hermit gives her magic to make herself look normal, so she can tend the young man without frightening him. He ends up taking her back to his home as a sort of adopted sister (much to the chagrin of his arranged fiancée, who is a complete stuck-up type).
The movie climaxes in a magical battle between the hermit and a midwife/witch enlisted by the fiancée to get rid of the snake girl.
Cool things about the film: First, the head of snakes. They're not special effects - they're actual snakes!! I wonder if the audition for the part of the snake girl started with a questionnaire "Would you let us slap some snakes onto your head? OK you've got the part!" It looks really cool. Second, there's a long sequence where the young man and the snake girl run around some really cool ruins. The place is soooooo neat.
It may not be worth buying, but it is interesting to watch, particularly if you're into comparative folklore.