Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues | |
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Directed by | Tsui Hark |
Written by | Raymond To |
Produced by | Tsui Hark |
Starring | Brigitte Lin Cherie Chung Sally Yeh Paul Chun Wu Ma Kenneth Tsang |
Cinematography | Hang Sang Poon |
Edited by | David Wu |
Music by | James Wong |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Golden Princess Film Production |
Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
Country | Hong Kong |
Language | Cantonese |
Peking Opera Blues (traditional Chinese: 刀馬旦; simplified Chinese: 刀马旦; pinyin: Dāo Mǎ Dàn; Jyutping: dou1 maa5 daan2; Cantonese Yale: Dòu Máah Dáan) is a 1986 Hong Kong action comedy film directed and produced by Tsui Hark. It stars Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh, Paul Chun, Wu Ma, and Kenneth Tsang. The film combines action comedy with scenes involving Peking Opera.[1]
Peking Opera Blues was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Actress.
Plot
[edit]During the early Republican era, China was in turmoil, with warlords dividing the nation and causing widespread suffering. It was rumored that a prince of the imperial family had hidden a vast treasure. However, after offending Empress Dowager Cixi, his entire family was executed, leaving only his young daughter, who fled with a traveling opera troupe's musician. Fifteen years later, various factions, including a warlord under Yuan Shikai, Japanese spies, and revolutionaries, begin a relentless pursuit of the hidden treasure, leading to a fierce battle between justice and evil.
Tsao Wan is the daughter of a general and a devoted patriot. She is torn between her love for the nation and her loyalty to her father, who aids Yuan Shikai in securing massive foreign loans that push the country further into financial despair. Meanwhile, Bai Niu, who grew up in an opera troupe, and Sheung Hung, a money-hungry courtesan, cross paths with Tsao Wan through fate. Together, their intertwined lives weave an epic tale of love, sacrifice, and patriotism, as they embark on a daring journey in the midst of political chaos.
Cast
[edit]- Brigitte Lin - Tsao Wan, General Tsao's daughter
- Cherie Chung - Sheung Hung
- Sally Yeh - Bai Niu
- Kenneth Tsang - General Tsao
- Wu Ma - Mr. Wong
- Paul Chun - Fa Gum-Sao
- Mark Cheng - Ling Pak-Hoi
- Cheung Kwok Keung - Tung Man
- Ku Feng - Commander Liu
- Lee Hoi-sang - Soldier with moustache
- Leong Po-Chih
- Sandra Ng
- Dean Shek
- Yin Szema
- Tien Ching
- David Wu
Title
[edit]The Chinese title translates as Knife Horse Actresses, a term used in Peking Opera to refer to male actors playing female warriors (See Dan article for details). It is sometimes erroneously translated as Knife Horse Dawn, because both words are represented by the same Chinese character.[2]
Responses
[edit]The film grossed HK$17,559,357 in Hong Kong.[3]
In his Wrap Up video to the Region 1 DVD of Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express, Quentin Tarantino refers to Peking Opera Blues as "one of the greatest films ever made" and "a blast––it's a lot of fun."
Awards
[edit]Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
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1987 | Best Actress | Sally Yeh | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor | Paul Chun | Nominated | |
Best Action Choreography | Ching Siu-tung | Nominated | |
Best Cinematography | Hang Sang Poon | Nominated | |
Best Film Editing | David Wu | Nominated | |
Best Art Direction | Vincent Wai Kim-Sing Ho Chi-Hing Leung |
Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ Bleiler, David TLA Video & DVD Guide 2005 (St Martin's Griffin, 2004) p.478
- ^ Jenny Kwok Wah Lau, 'Peking Opera Blues: Exploding Genre, Gender and History', in Film Analysis (Norton, 2005), p. 739.
- ^ "Peking Opera Blues (1986)".
External links
[edit]
- 1986 films
- 1986 action comedy films
- 1986 LGBTQ-related films
- 1980s Cantonese-language films
- 1980s exploitation films
- 1980s Hong Kong films
- Cross-dressing in film
- Films about Peking opera
- Films directed by Tsui Hark
- Films set in 1913
- Films shot in Beijing
- Hong Kong action comedy films
- Hong Kong exploitation films
- Hong Kong LGBTQ-related films
- Hong Kong New Wave films
- LGBTQ-related comedy films
- 1980s Hong Kong film stubs
- 1980s comedy film stubs