Peking Opera Blues
1986 Hong Kong film by Tsui Hark
- 6 September 1986 (1986-09-06)
Running time
Peking Opera Blues (traditional Chinese: 刀馬旦; simplified Chinese: 刀马旦; pinyin: Dāo Mǎ Dàn; Jyutping: dou1 maa5 daan2; Cantonese Yale: Dòu Máah Dáan) is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines action 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 Peking, 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 cross-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
- Hoi Sang Lee - Soldier with moustache
- Leong Po-Chih
- Sandra Ng (cameo)
- Dean Shek
- Yin Szema
- Tien Ching
- 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
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Films directed by Tsui Hark
- The Butterfly Murders (1979)
- We're Going to Eat You (1980)
- Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (1980)
- All the Wrong Clues for the Right Solution (1981)
- Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)
- Shanghai Blues (1984)
- Aces Go Places 3 (1984)
- Peking Opera Blues (1986)
- A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon (1989)
- The Master (1989)
- The Raid (1991)
- Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
- Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)
- Green Snake (1993)
- Once Upon a Time in China III (1993)
- The Lovers (1994)
- Once Upon a Time in China V (1994)
- The Blade (1995)
- The Chinese Feast (1995)
- Tristar (1996)
- Double Team (1997)
- Knock Off (1998)
- Time and Tide (2000)
- The Legend of Zu (2001)
- Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002)
- Seven Swords (2005)
- Missing (2008)
- All About Women (2008)
- Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)
- Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)
- Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013)
- The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014)
- Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
- Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018)
- The Banquet (1991)
- Twin Dragons (1992)
- Triangle (2007)
- Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020)
- The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)
- The Battle at Lake Changjin II (2022)
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