A Neglected Story: Observations on the Manuscript of Wu Dajiang’s Film Score for Painted Skin (1993)

Abstract:The manuscript of Wu Dajiang’s score for Painted Skin is the only one of King Hu’s film music scores known to exist today. The manuscript represents new and direct evidence of King Hu and his film composers’ working method. With the aim of investigating the presentational force of the film music, this article reviews several pivotal leitmotifs and their repetitions. Based on the interviewees’ testimonies, this study reveals that the production of the music could not be ascribed to Wu Dajiang alone, as credited in the film. Evidently, King Hu’s artistic intentions carried considerable weight in the musical decision-making process, and the manuscript reflects the collaborative nature of the music production process. Music assistant Lu Lianghui’s substantial contribution is of particular importance. His compositional devices, including his design of repetitive leitmotifs and a new type of operatic scoring, which features Nuo Opera, make the presentational force of the music self-explanatory. The effective integration of the visual and audio elements owes much to King Hu and Lu Lianghui’s close collaboration.