My Cultural Diet

No less an authority than LoveHKFilm.com, one of the great Hong Kong cinema websites, has called Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues “the perfect Hong Kong film.” With all due respect to Ross Chen and his staff, though, I don’t know if I’d go that far. Hark’s film is definitely ambitious, mashing together humor (often of a very exaggerated form), drama, political intrigue, and — because it features the Peking Opera, which historically served as the training ground for Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and other martial arts superstars — some high-flying action courtesy of Ching Siu-tung (himself a Peking Opera student). Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, and Sally Yeh star as three intrepid young women whose paths cross in early 20th-century China while revolutionaries and corrupt politicians clash in the aftermath of the Qing dynasty’s downfall. What ensues is a madcap tale of conspiracies, betrayal, love triangles, and yes, Peking opera hijinks — with an emphasis on “madcap.” My wife sat down to watch the last 20 minutes or so of the film, and I didn’t even try to explain the plot to her. Personally, I found the scenes of the actual opera troupe in action the most interesting (some awkward gay stereotypes notwithstanding), with the near-nonstop goofy humor undermining much of the film’s drama and intrigue.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.