Purely Joyful Movie!

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This Chinese is one I found in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it was rated well by critics, who said it is dazzling and a spectacle, I certainly hoped it would be, directed by Hark Tsui (Once Upon a Time in China). Basically set in 1913 in Beijing, during Yuan Shikai's presidency of the country, when the Chinese revolution overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin) is patriotic rebel and the daughter of General Tsao (Kenneth Tsang). Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung) is a petty thief who takes a box of jewels during a loot. Bai Niu (Sally Yeh) is the daughter of the impresario and owner of the Peking Opera theatre. To help the guerrillas who are fighting for the republic, Tsao Wan must steal an important document from her father's safe. Bai Niu dreams of being an actress, but even female roles are played by men in the opera. The exploits of Tsao Wan and those of her two friends Sheung Hung and Bai Niu flow back and forth between the Imperial Palace and the theatre of the Beijing Opera, climaxing in a dizzying rooftop fight. Also starring Mark Cheng as Ling Pak-Hoi, Kwok Keung Cheung as Tung Man, Feng Ku as Commander Liu, Wu Ma as Mr. Wong, Paul Chun as Fa Gum-Sao, Po-Chih Leong as Mr. Kam and Ha Huang as General Tun. I just about kept up with the sprawling storyline, the three female leads all bring their own likeable personalities that challenge the sexist prejudices of the time it is set, the farcical comedy and political satire make you laugh, the costumes and scenery is colourful, and the fight, bloody moments and chase sequences are well choreographed and exhilarating, a fun and satisfactory period action adventure. Very good!

This is an intense action comedy from director Hark Tsui, a story set in post-Chinese Revolution of 1911 where triad members fought each other for power while Sun Yat-Sen's underground movement tried to establish a democratic republic. Mixed into the plot are three young women, played brilliantly by Brigitte Lin, Sally Yeh and Cherie Chung. Lin plays Tsao Wan, who is the daughter of a general. Yeh plays opera actress Pat Neil and Chung plays small time thief Sheung Hung. All three get entwined within the feuding wars of two triad groups that drags them back and forth between the Royal Palace and the Peking Opera.This film blends in action and political satire, to give you an entertaining tale of drama of sacrifice. There are some pretty intense moments as well, from scenes of gun battles to a scene of torture, courtesy of Mark Cheng and Brigitte Lin. All this put added suspense to the film that gives an intriguing aura of tough times during post-revolution China and the yearning of freedom and better lives among its Chinese subjects. Amidst all the carnage and drama is comic relief, most notably provided by Cherie Chung.Overall, it's a rushed film with a lot of chaos thrown in the mix. But, it's pretty entertaining.Grade B-

First I should mention that I enjoy watching films from Hong Kong. Even so, I didn't find out about Peking Opera Blues for some time. Sure I've seen another popular film by director Tsui Hark; the excellent Once Upon A Time In China. But the reason I didn't get to watch Peking Opera Blues earlier is because it's not easy to find. It's not readily available online or in video stores like other Hong Kong films, and it wasn't available at my local library. After that, having read reviews about how good the film is I decided to find it. It was available at the city library so I headed there and checked out the DVD. The opening of the film is reminiscent of the opening from Once Upon A Time In China. It contains shots of Peking Opera performers along with their accessories, and it's aided by a catchy song in Cantonese. I knew then that I was in for something special. The film is set in 1913 Beijing, during Yuan Shikai's presidency of the Republic of China. It depicts the adventures of three unlikely heroines: Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin), a patriotic rebel who dresses as a man; Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung), a musician in search of a missing box of jewels; and Pat Neil (Sally Yeh), the daughter of a Peking Opera impresario. What the viewer should expect is that Peking Opera Blues is a slapstick comedy. The plot is simply there for the three women to get into comical and sometimes dangerous situations. However, the film also offers some fast and breathtaking fight scenes, along with several shootouts. These alone don't make an excellent film however. What sets Peking Opera Blues apart from other Hong Kong releases is its style and the three female leads. For once we get to see women generate humor and duke it out with the bad guys. This is the film's charm. Did I mention that the actresses are beautiful? I especially liked Sally Yeh in the role of Pat Neil. She's the most righteous of the three women. She also gets to perform in the opera during one important scene. American film director Quentin Tarantino once referred to Peking Opera Blues as "one of the craziest movies ever made" and "the best and a lot of fun." That statement pretty much sums it up. Those people who like Hong Kong cinema will like this film. Even those who don't usually watch foreign films may like it as well. Peking Opera Blues is a modern classic of Hong Kong cinema.

Before I saw this movie, I had always considered Chinese opera rather boring. Now I would be willing to give it a chance. Not that any Chinese opera would be like this movie. Even though the movie is full of amazing stunts and also very funny, the film doesn't veer in the realm of ridiculous like a lot of movies in this genre do. Part of the credit must go to the three convincing female leads, each one with a different strength. Director Tsui Hark also should be given credit by keeping the movie together even while our three heroines are pursuing different goals (success, greed and justice). A fun movie for all.