Peking Opera Blues - they just don't make Hong Kong films like they used to
Ok so maybe this is a little bit random, but I think watching the 90s c-drama Princess Pearl (Huan Zhu Ge Ge) has made me a bit nostalgic for that classic, but definitively old school, Hong Kong film from prolific director Tsui Hark: Peking Opera Blues (刀馬旦). I know, I know, Hong Kong does NOT equal mainland and the 80s do NOT equal the 90s, but do I really need a logical excuse to reminisce about this amazing film from my childhood?
Gosh, I can still remember watching this on VHS with truly terrible subs and not really understanding the finer details of the plot, but still thinking it was beyond cool. When I took a course in Chinese history two years ago, the most exciting thing was when we learned about Yuan Shikai and I was like ooohhhh so that's the corrupt president they were talking about! But fortunately for me, a nuanced understanding of politics is not really essential to the enjoyment of POB...
The story centers around three very different young women whose lives cross in Beijing during a turbulent time of transition in the early 20th century, with most of the action taking place in and around the Beijing opera house. Tsao Wan (one of the most badass characters ever, played by Brigitte Lin) is the daughter of an important general, who dresses as a man because she can and is secretly involved in a patriotic revolutionary movement. Pat Neil (Sally Yeh) is the daughter of the Peking Opera boss who wants to perform on stage although this is taboo for women. Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung) is a materialistic travelling musician chasing after a box of jewels. The three unlikely friends get caught up in a wacky adventure involving some missing documents and lots of peking opera stageplay.
Sound complicated? It kind of is. And yet the beauty of this film is how all these seemingly disparate elements work so well together. It really does have a bit of everything: comedy, action, suspense, drama, a bit of romance. There's elaborately choreographed fight sequences, but there's also the stylized stage fighting of the opera scenes. The movie is quite dated in terms of the technical aspects, but I don't think most modern films are as clever or interesting as this one in terms of plot and characters. In my eyes, Peking Opera Blues will always be a classic. Check out the trailer below:
Click to view