Leslie Cheung: remembered and missed

[wongkk]

The name Leslie won't mean much to most people. He was a Hong Kong actor, singer and dancer, favoured of film director Wong Ka Wai. Tonight I found some old music CDs of Leslie's on one of my shelves and have been playing them while performing dull tasks around the house, tasks made less dull by the singing of this talented, attractive and much

Comments

[shyone05]

Your wallpaper is a lovely tribute to this very talented man who passed away too soon.
Now I need to go watch "Farewell My Concubine"

[wongkk]

Thank you. Leslie had something even beyond talent in his screen presence: there is one scene in "Once a Thief" where you (the audience) know that the bad-hats have arrived just because Leslie's face seems to change colour! His expression doesn't change obviously but you know he's spotted the hoods.

Do enjoy watching his legacy. Me too. I didn't want to see Happy Together (I'm not really into high angst between lovers) but it was - if not exactly enjoyable - an excellent film, largely through Leslie's acting and the chemistry with Tony Leung (happily still with us) and the fine camera work from Christopher Doyle.

Thank you for commenting.

[wongkk]

I watched "A Better Tomorrow" last night; the acting is always better than I think it's going to be. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Leslie and Chow Yun Fat being cool and iconic, and very over-copied since. The whole of Hong Kong spent a Summer in hot trench-coats because of that film!

I also dug out Leslie's very polite and despairing last note. Thought you might be interested to read a translation (the Prof was his last psychiatrist - bit of a back-handed compliment to be thanked in the circumstances):

“Depression! Many thanks to all my friends. Many thanks to Professor Felice Lieh-mak. This year has been so terribly tough; I can't bear any more. I am so grateful to Mr. Tong, and to my family and to Sister Fei. I never used life for bad things; why does it have to end like this?"

[shyone05]

T_T It's so sad that he thought things had to end like that...

[wongkk]

Yes. He clearly felt that it would never be - could never be - any other way.

I assume he also hated seeing the effect of his incapacity (he couldn't finish his last films, songs) on his partner, Daffy Tong, and family. Leslie scored in roles with conflicted loyalties and had the (perhaps) misfortune to be more constant and loyal than his screen and stage presence made him appear: a big part of his fan appeal was loucheness, whereas his own preference was decency. It's a strange paradox. Or trap.

I still have discs of Leslie's later films that I've never seen (Okinawan Holiday, Inner Senses) and still haven't decided whether my enjoyment of his earlier stuff is best left undisturbed by watching these last films. I guess I don't have to rush over that decision!

It's good to exchange thoughts with someone sharing an interest in similar fandoms - saiyuki, Gackt, Leslie. Thank you for that rare treat!

[shyone05]

Yes, it's odd that his popularity seemed to hinge on roles that really were the opposite of his true personality. I wonder if that duality played into his feelings of despair and perhaps self-loathing.
Thank you for the translation of his note. It really brings out a lot of what-ifs and questions. I wish he had been able to hang on and find the strength he so desperately needed.
Oh, thank you :) It"s rare that I find anyone in RL who enjoys any of these fandoms. My friends always ask why I like music that I can't understand the lyrics to; my answer is always if the music touches your heart, does it matter if you can't understand the lyrics? And Leslie's music truly does have a special place in my heart.

[wongkk]

Your last comment made me smile. I do speak some Cantonese and, to be honest, most of the songs don't make any more sense when you do understand the lyrics!

You are right: Leslie's voice, actions, expressions, skin always colour to the emotion of the part that he is playing or singing so he is intelligent and intelligible regardless of language. Truly he is special.

It will be 10 years in 2013 so I am wondering what tributes there will be in Hong Kong from other entertainers. I would love for there to be some special tribute songs like the one that David Tao wrote for Anita Mui.