A Chinese Ghost Story
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| A Chinese Ghost Story | |
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| Directed by | Ching Siu-tung |
| Produced by | Tsui Hark |
| Written by | Pu Songling (novel) Yun Kai-chi |
| Starring | Leslie Cheung Joey Wong Wu Ma |
| Music by | Romeo Díaz James Wong |
| Editing by | David Wu |
| Distributed by | Hong Kong Legends |
| Release date(s) | March 23, 1987 |
| Running time | 98min. |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Budget | $5,600,000 (estimated) |
| Followed by | A Chinese Ghost Story Part II |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
A Chinese Ghost Story (Chinese: 倩女幽魂; pinyin: qiànnǚ yōuhún; Wade-Giles: Ch'ien-nü Yu-hun, literal meaning: "The Spirit of a Beauty") is a 1987 Hong Kong movie starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by Tsui Hark.
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[edit] Background
The story was loosely based on the Qing Dynasty literature Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio from writer Pu Songling. The movie was immensely popular in Hong Kong and several Asian countries when released. Most notably it boosted the stardom of Joey Wong and sparked a trend of folklore ghost films in the HK film industry. The film grossed $18,831,638 HKD in Hong Kong[1].
[edit] Plot summary
Ning (Leslie Cheung) is a timid tax collector whose line of work requires him to travel to rural areas to perform his job. During one of his regular trips, he is side-tracked from his duties when his account ledgers are soaked by a downpour and he eventually gets lost in the wilderness trying to find shelter. He soon finds that his surroundings are bathed in an eerie mist and close encounters with predators in the wild are not the only dangers he face, as he catches the eye of Nie (Joey Wong), an alluringly beautiful ghost. Ning is unaware that she is actually the slave of a powerful tree demon who feasts on the souls of men that she lures for him. However, Ning is not a lecherous scoundrel like her other prey and she takes him under her care and soon falls in love with him. The tree demon, outraged at her betrayal, attempts everything within his power to stop their romance and destroy their souls.
Ning, however, is no ghostbuster and enlists the aid of Master Yan (Wu Ma), a Taoist priest, to help free Nie's soul and destroy the tree demon. As with most romances with the supernatural in Chinese mythology, there is little hope of a fairytale ending, which many would come to expect in a Hollywood fairy tale, and their fate is no exception. In the end, the only way to save Nie is to help her soul enter the netherworld so that she may finally find peace, and be able to reincarnate and live a better life. At the end of the movie, Ning is left only with a lingering memory of his beloved whom he loses in the forest forever.
[edit] Cast and roles
- Leslie Cheung - Ning Cai Chen
- Joey Wong - Ye Xiao Qian
- Wu Ma - Yan Chi Xia
- Hu Dawei
- Jiang Jin
- Lam Wai - Hsia-hou
- Lau Siu-Ming - Tree Devil (Lao Lao)
- Elvis Tsui
- Wong Jing -
- Xue Zhilun - Ching
[edit] Adaptations
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| A Chinese Ghost Story Part II | Movie Sequel |
| A Chinese Ghost Story Part III | Movie Sequel |
| A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation | Chinese Animation |
| Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story | TV Series from China/Taiwan |
[edit] Influences
- American director Sam Raimi has borrowed scenes and ideas from A Chinese Ghost Story for use in at least one of the Evil Dead movies and in certain episodes of the television series Xena[2][3][4].
[edit] Trivia
- The ghost, Nie, plays a qin and she breaks a string (a common metaphor for a troubled heart or being surprised) when the man Ning steps into the pavillion.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Actors • Directors • Films A-Z • Film chronology • Cinematographers • Festivals • Producers • Screenwriters •
