Peking Opera Blues
Encyclopedia
Peking Opera Blues 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." The film was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards
including Best Actress.
, during Yuan Shikai
's presidency of the Republic of China
. 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 Pat Neil (Sally Yeh
), the daughter of a Peking Opera impresario.
article for details). It is sometimes erroneously translated as Knife Horse Dawn, because both words are represented by the same Chinese character.
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."
1986 in film
-Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee....
Hong Kong film
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
directed by Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
. The movie combines comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, Hong Kong action
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
, and serious drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
with scenes involving Peking Opera. Director Tsui Hark described the film as a satire on the "Chinese ignorance of democracy." The film was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
including Best Actress.
Synopsis
The film is set in 1913 BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, during Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
's presidency of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. It depicts the adventures of a team of unlikely heroines: Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies...
), a patriotic rebel who dresses as a man; Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung
Cherie Chung
Cherie Chung Chor-hung is a retired Hong Kong film actress.She is one of the top actresses in Hong Kong Film 1980s.InHakka descent, she participated in the Miss Hong Kong competition but won nothing...
), a woman in search of a missing box of jewels; and Pat Neil (Sally Yeh
Sally Yeh
Sally Yeh , sometimes written as Sally Yip or Yip Sin-Man, is a Cantopop singer in the Hong Kong music industry and an actress in the Hong Kong film industry.-Overview:...
), 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 DanDan (Chinese opera)
Dan is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. There are a few different kinds of dan in Chinese opera. The commonly seen ones are 'Guimen Dan', 'Hua Dan', 'Daoma Dan', 'Wu Dan', 'Lao Dan' and 'Cai Dan'...
article for details). It is sometimes erroneously translated as Knife Horse Dawn, because both words are represented by the same Chinese character.
Cast and roles
- Brigitte LinBrigitte LinBrigitte Lin or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies...
- Tsao Wan (曹雲), General Tsao's daughter - Cherie ChungCherie ChungCherie Chung Chor-hung is a retired Hong Kong film actress.She is one of the top actresses in Hong Kong Film 1980s.InHakka descent, she participated in the Miss Hong Kong competition but won nothing...
- Sheung Hung (湘紅) - Sally YehSally YehSally Yeh , sometimes written as Sally Yip or Yip Sin-Man, is a Cantopop singer in the Hong Kong music industry and an actress in the Hong Kong film industry.-Overview:...
- Pat Neil (白妞) - Kenneth TsangKenneth TsangKenneth Tsang Kong is a Hong Kong actor. Tsang's career has spanned 50 years and included a variety of acting roles.Tsang was born in Shanghai, China with family roots in Jida, Zhuhai, Guangdong. He attended high school in Wah Yan Hong Kong and then Wah Yan, Kowloon...
- General Tsao - Wu MaWu MaWu Ma is a Chinese actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name , Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema...
- Mr. Wong - Paul ChunPaul Chun (actor)Paul Chun Pui is a Hong Kong based actor.He is the brother of actor David Chiang and half-brother of actor/ director Derek Yee Tung-Shing. His son Benji Chiang and his daughter Lesley Chiang are duo in the pop group "Benji and Lesley". Paul started his acting career at the age of three...
- Fa Gum-Sao - Mark ChengMark ChengMark Cheng Ho-nam is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. Cheng is perhaps best known as Lam Wing in 1996 film Tai Chi Boxer.-Film career:...
- Ling Pak-Hoi - Cheung Kwok Keung - Tung Man
- Ku Feng - Commander Liu
- Lee Hoi San - Soldier with moustache
- Leong Po-Chih
- Sandra NgSandra NgSandra Ng Kwan-yu is a Hong Kong film and television actress.-Biography:The daughter of Ng Kam-chuen, Ng was born in Hong Kong, where she attended St. Stephen's Girls' College. Encouraged by her parents, she began her entertainment career at the age of 16. She is most known through her comic...
(cameo) - Dean ShekDean ShekDean Shek aka Dean Shek Tien is a veteran Hong Kong feature film actor and film producer with over 92 films acting credits to his name...
- Yin Szema
- Tien Ching
- David WuDavid WuDavid Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties...
Responses
The film grossed $17,559,357 HKD in Hong Kong.http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=6827&display_set=engIn his Wrap Up video to the Region 1 DVD of Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
's Chungking Express
Chungking Express
Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woman...
, Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
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 Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress The Hong Kong Film Award for Best actress is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to an actress for the best performance by an actress in a leading role.-Records:-1980s:*1982 Kara Hui - My Young Auntie as Cheng Tai-Nan... |
Sally Yeh Sally Yeh Sally Yeh , sometimes written as Sally Yip or Yip Sin-Man, is a Cantopop singer in the Hong Kong music industry and an actress in the Hong Kong film industry.-Overview:... |
Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Paul Chun Paul Chun (actor) Paul Chun Pui is a Hong Kong based actor.He is the brother of actor David Chiang and half-brother of actor/ director Derek Yee Tung-Shing. His son Benji Chiang and his daughter Lesley Chiang are duo in the pop group "Benji and Lesley". Paul started his acting career at the age of three... |
Nominated | |
| Best Action Choreography | Ching Siu-tung Ching Siu-tung Ching Siu-tung , also known as Tony Ching, is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, film director and producer, who has directed over 20 films, including the critically acclaimed supernatural fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story .-Career:... |
Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Hang-Sang Poon | Nominated | |
| Best Film Editing | David Wu David Wu David Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties... |
Nominated | |
| Best Art Direction | Vincent Wai Kim-Sing Ho Chi-Hing Leung |
Nominated |