The Legend of the White Serpent (film)

The Legend of the White Serpent (白夫人の妖恋, Byaku fujin no yōren; lit. 'The Love of Madame White') is a 1956 Japanese romantic fantasy film directed by Shirō Toyoda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Adapted from the Chinese fairy tale Pai-she Chuan and the stories Story of a White Snake and White Woman's Magic by Fusao Hayashi, it stars Ryō Ikebe as Xu Xian, Shirley Yamaguchi as Bai-niang, and Kaoru Yachigusa as Xiao-qing. Set during the Song dynasty, the film follows Xu Xian, a young medicine shop apprentice, who becomes involved with Bai-niang, a mysterious woman with supernatural abilities. Their relationship leads to magical and moral conflicts involving villagers, a Taoist monk, and a local moneylender.

The film was released in Japan in 1956 and in the United States in 1965 as Madame White Snake. It won awards for cinematography and received international recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival.