Peking Opera Blues
| Peking Opera Blues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tsui Hark |
| Produced by | Tsui Hark |
| Written by | Raymond To |
| Starring |
Brigitte Lin Cherie Chung Sally Yeh Paul Chun Wu Ma Kenneth Tsang |
| Music by | James Wong |
| Cinematography | Poon Hang Seng (H.K.S.C) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Golden Princess Film Production |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 min |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
Peking Opera Blues (traditional Chinese: 刀馬旦; simplified Chinese: 刀马旦; pinyin: Dāo Mǎ Dàn; Jyutping: Dòu Máah Dáan; Cantonese Yale: Dou1 mah5 daan3) is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines comedy, Hong Kong action, and serious drama with scenes involving Peking Opera. Director Tsui Hark described the film as a satire on the "Chinese ignorance of democracy."[1] The film was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Actress.
Synopsis
The film is set in 1913 Beijing, during Yuan Shikai's presidency of the country. It depicts the adventures of a team of unlikely heroines: Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin), a patriotic rebel who dresses as a man; Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung), a woman in search of a missing box of jewels; and Bai Niu (Sally Yeh), the daughter of a Peking Opera impresario.
Title
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]
Cast and roles
- Brigitte Lin - Tsao Wan (曹雲), General Tsao's daughter
- Cherie Chung - Sheung Hung (湘紅)
- Sally Yeh - Bai Niu (白妞)
- 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 San - Soldier with moustache
- Leong Po-Chih
- Sandra Ng (cameo)
- Dean Shek
- Yin Szema
- Tien Ching
- David Wu
Responses
The film grossed $17,559,357 HKD 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
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Notes
- ↑ 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.
- ↑