Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues | |
---|---|
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 | Poon Hang Seng (H.K.S.C) |
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 min |
Country | Hong Kong |
Language | Cantonese |
Peking Opera Blues (traditional Chinese: 刀馬旦; simplified Chinese: 刀马旦; pinyin: Dāo Mǎ Dàn; Jyutping: Dou1 Mah5 Daan2; Cantonese Yale: Dòu Máah Dáan) 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
- - Tung Man
- Ku Feng - Commander Liu
- Hoi Sang Lee - Soldier with moustache
- Leong Po-Chih
- Sandra Ng (cameo)
- Dean Shek
- David Wu
Responses[]
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[]
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 |
References[]
External links[]
- Peking Opera Blues at IMDb
- Peking Opera Blues at Rotten Tomatoes
- Peking Opera Blues at AllMovie
- lovehkfilm entry
- 1986 films
- Cantonese-language films
- 1980s action comedy-drama films
- Hong Kong films
- Hong Kong New Wave films
- Hong Kong action comedy films
- 1980s exploitation films
- Films featuring Peking opera
- Films set in Beijing
- Films set in the 1910s
- Films directed by Tsui Hark
- 1986 comedy films
- 1986 drama films
- 1980s Hong Kong film stubs
- 1980s comedy-drama film stubs